Alexander Metcalf Fisher 1822

Samuel Morse painted "Alexander Metcalf Fisher," capturing not just a likeness, but a powerful storm of symbols. Note the tempest raging beyond the window; a theatrical backdrop of lightning piercing through turbulent clouds. This recalls the Romantic era’s obsession with the sublime, where nature's raw power mirrors the inner turmoil of the human spirit. Consider its echoes in Caspar David Friedrich’s landscapes, where solitary figures confront the immensity of nature, dwarfed but also elevated by the encounter. The storm, an age-old symbol, transcends mere meteorological phenomenon. It is the "Sturm und Drang" – the storm and stress – a motif recurring throughout art history, signifying upheaval, revelation, and catharsis. This visual language, steeped in collective memory, resonates even now, stirring subconscious emotions of awe and unease. Like a phoenix from ashes, it rises time and again, this symbol of the storm.