Eagle Dance c. 1935

This is Chester Leich’s ‘Eagle Dance,’ an etching made sometime in the 20th century. The artwork depicts dancers adorned with feathers, evoking the spirit of the eagle. Consider the eagle, a symbol that soars across cultures, from the Roman Empire to the indigenous peoples of North America. Here, the eagle is not merely a bird, but a conduit between the earthly and the divine. These wings, spread wide, echo gestures found in ancient Minoan art, where priestesses raised their arms to invoke the heavens. The replication of this gesture speaks to a shared human impulse to transcend our earthly bounds. The eagle's symbolism transforms from an emblem of power to an expression of spiritual yearning, a testament to the enduring human quest for connection with the cosmos. This cyclical recurrence highlights the emotional and psychological resonance of these symbols, engaging viewers across time.