A Winter Sky 1866

George Inness painted “A Winter Sky” in 1868, capturing a landscape under the dim light of dusk, where the sun is setting over the horizon and a flock of birds flies across the sky. The setting sun is a potent symbol, a motif seen throughout art history, representing closure and the cyclical nature of life. Yet, it's not just about endings. Think about the emotional weight of sunsets in Romantic paintings, like those by Caspar David Friedrich; they evoke introspection, a confrontation with our own mortality, feelings Inness masterfully conveys. The birds migrating introduce the idea of transition, a symbol of the soul’s journey found as far back as ancient Egyptian art. Ultimately, “A Winter Sky” reflects a constant return, a cycle of death and rebirth, of endings that bring new beginnings, playing out across the canvas as a recurring theme.