Mountain Heights, Cader Idris c. 1850

David Cox made this watercolour painting of Cader Idris, depicting the raw, untamed power of the Welsh landscape. Dominating the composition, the mountain peak shrouded in mist becomes more than just a geographical feature. Mountains throughout art history evoke ideas of spiritual ascent. Think of Mount Olympus, home to the Greek gods, or even the symbolic mountains in Chinese landscape painting, places for contemplation and connection to the divine. Here, the mountain rises, almost challenging the sky, a motif that has reappeared throughout history and across cultures. In Caspar David Friedrich’s "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog" we see a similar solitary figure contemplating the sublime. Here, the emotional and psychological weight of nature is a powerful force, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. The mountain as a symbol is not linear, but cyclical, resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings in different historical contexts.