What is the Artist Doing Here?

I have all these 18th C portraits that cycle through my PC desktop wallpapers. I am not sure why but today, this one caught my attention.

Let me draw your attention to his hands…

While this hand gesture is often seen as a victory sign (“V for Victory”), with the palm outward, and still today in the United States it is commonly called the “peace sign”. When displayed with the palm inward toward the signer, this gesture can be an offensive gesture not dissimilar to showing the middle finger. 

CONCLUSION: Paul Revere, like generations of Bostonians after, was a real prick when he rode on Massachusetts’ highways. Road Rage is not modern.