Ascension 

Michael C. Hayes, a 20th-century artist, created this painting, "Ascension," in no specific date, depicting an angel amidst a flock of birds. Here, we see the angel, a figure laden with historical and spiritual significance. Angels, in Abrahamic religions, are messengers of the divine, guides between worlds. Her wings, symbols of freedom and transcendence, remind us of similar winged figures, like Nike of Samothrace, embodying victory and ascent. Yet, look closer at the birds. They evoke complex emotions: freedom, but also, perhaps, the disquieting feeling of being watched. Birds have traveled through time as symbols: ancient augury used bird flight to predict the future. The birds here surround the angel and could be interpreted as souls, messengers, or even omens. The image strikes a chord within us. It is a non-linear progression of symbols, resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings across historical contexts.