Windward 

Henri Martin painted "Windward" using oil on canvas. The painting presents a windswept field under a turbulent sky, with trees on the right standing as silent witnesses to the forces of nature. The field is a sea of golden hues, symbolizing fertility, harvest, and abundance. The trees, bare and reaching upwards, echo the motif of the "axis mundi" - the world axis. We find this concept represented across cultures, from ancient Egyptian obelisks to the tree of life in Norse mythology. They symbolize a connection between the earthly and the divine. Here, the trees' starkness adds a somber tone, evoking feelings of mortality. Consider how the dynamism in this landscape parallels the human soul's turmoil, reflecting our internal states onto the external world. This continuous cycle mirrors the perpetual transformations of the human condition. These symbols and sensations are not linear but exist in a continuous, cyclical exchange.