Nocturne: Black and Gold – The Fire Wheel 1875

James Abbott McNeill Whistler painted this oil on canvas titled "Nocturne: Black and Gold – The Fire Wheel" in 1875. Look at how the firework bursts illuminate the night sky over London, echoing ancient symbols of cosmic creation and destruction. The 'fire wheel', reminiscent of celestial mandalas, harkens back to age-old symbols of the sun and cyclical time found in numerous cultures, even in tantric Buddhist art representing the wheel of life and death. Its fiery display embodies a primitive, almost pagan ritual, connecting viewers to primeval human experiences. Just like the swirling 'axis mundi', which pierces through realms, these spinning shapes remind us that images and motifs transcend time. They connect and engage us on a subconscious level. As it dissipates, it leaves behind an emotional echo – the awe and anxiety linked to the sublime and temporal. We can see the non-linear progression of symbols – their cyclical recurrence and evolving meanings across time, and their connection to collective memory and ancestral knowledge.