Clouds after Storm 1900

Editor: Here we have Charles Harold Davis's "Clouds after Storm," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a landscape in oil paint, and I'm really drawn to the dramatic sky. What sort of symbolic weight do you think the artist is giving to the sky here? Curator: The sky, particularly clouds, often symbolize transformation and the ephemeral nature of existence. Notice how Davis contrasts the turbulent dark clouds with the radiant, sunlit ones. What emotions does this juxtaposition evoke? Editor: Hope, maybe? Like the storm has passed, and there’s light after darkness. Curator: Precisely. And consider how frequently storms recur in life and art. This painting taps into a deep well of human experience, a cultural memory of resilience. Editor: It’s like a reminder that even after the worst storms, there’s always the possibility of a bright, hopeful aftermath. Curator: Indeed. The painting’s enduring power lies in its ability to resonate with our shared understanding of life’s cycles.