The Moth and the Thunderclap 1961

Charles E. Burchfield created "The Moth and the Thunderclap," a watercolour, in 1961. Notice how the moth, traditionally a symbol of metamorphosis and the soul, confronts the raw, untamed power of the thunderclap. In numerous cultures, the moth's attraction to light mirrors humanity's fascination with the divine, with knowledge. Consider how, in ancient Greece, the butterfly, akin to the moth, symbolized the psyche, the soul's journey. We see echoes of this in Christian art, where the butterfly represents resurrection. Burchfield's moth, set against this violent burst of energy, evokes a similar journey—a transformation through confrontation. The thunderclap, a symbol of divine intervention or wrath, appears in the art of many cultures, from Zeus wielding his thunderbolt to the Norse god Thor with his hammer. Here, it's a moment of intense drama, of nature's awesome force. What we see in Burchfield’s image is the enduring interplay between fragility and force, constantly reshaping our symbolic landscape.