hand-in-waistcoat

thumb|The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries (1812), exhibiting the hand-in-waistcoat gesture

The hand-in-waistcoat (also referred to as hand-inside-vest, hand-in-jacket, hand-held-in, or hidden hand) is a gesture commonly found in portraiture during the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as mid-19th century photography. The pose appeared by the 1750s to indicate leadership in a calm and firm manner. It is most often associated with Napoleon Bonaparte because it was used in several portraits made by his artist, Jacques-Louis David, amongst them the 1812 painting Napoleon in His Study. The pose, thought of as being stately, was copied by other portrait painters across Europe and America. Most paintings and photographs show the right hand inserted into the waistcoat/jacket, but some sitters appear with the left hand inserted. It is also a gesture known to Freemasons.