The Stormy Blast 1898

Joseph Farquharson's "The Stormy Blast" envelops us in a thick, blinding snow, where a flock of sheep huddles against the storm, their dark faces stark against the white. Sheep, throughout history, have often symbolized innocence, vulnerability, and the flock under the care of a shepherd. Consider the "Ecce Agnus Dei"—"Behold, the Lamb of God"—a symbol of Christ's sacrifice. Yet here, the blizzard obscures any divine presence, leaving the sheep exposed to the elements. This is not a gentle pasture but a battle against nature's raw power. The motif of animals in turbulent weather echoes through art history. Think of the harrowing animal depictions of the Romantic era. What Farquharson captures here is not merely a landscape, but a primal struggle. The sheep's desperate huddle speaks to a collective instinct for survival, a memory etched in their very being. In the storm's cyclical return, we recognize our own vulnerability, the subconscious fear of being lost and exposed. Like the ancient mariner guided by stars, we seek a beacon in the blizzard of life.