The Spirit of the Storm 1872

William Holbrook Beard painted this dramatic scene, The Spirit of the Storm, sometime in the 19th century. We see a figure, perhaps a god, riding a chariot pulled by lions across the sky, amidst celestial beings and a woman pouring water. Lions, symbols of strength and power, have carried deities and rulers since ancient times in Mesopotamian art. Here, they pull the chariot of a storm spirit, a motif that harkens back to ancient Near Eastern depictions of gods controlling the natural world. The woman pouring water reminds us of Aquarius, the water bearer, an ancient symbol associated with renewal and cleansing. The image calls to mind the cyclical nature of storms, destruction followed by rebirth, a recurring theme in human experience. The artist touches on our deepest fears and hopes about the forces of nature. How these symbols resonate with our collective memory and the unconscious human drive to find meaning in the chaos.