Landscape in the Rain 1890

Vincent van Gogh captured this landscape in the rain using oil on canvas. Notice how the lines of rain do not fall straight, but slash diagonally across the vista, lending a restless energy to the scene. Consider the birds in flight. These could be understood through the lens of folklore, where birds are often seen as psychopomps, creatures that guide souls to the afterlife. This symbolism resonates through time, appearing in various forms from ancient Egyptian art to modern literature, where birds symbolize transition. In contrast, in the context of the painting, the birds evoke a sense of unease. Is this because they seem to be fleeing something? A storm, or something more psychological, such as the artist's turmoil? The psychological impact of this landscape is profound, drawing on our collective subconscious understanding of nature's duality: beauty and terror. We are viscerally reminded that life, like weather, is cyclical.