The spiral shape of a shell and its seldom-appearing antennae has led the snail to become a symbol of cyclic processes: the transition from night to day and the phases of the Moon.

For ancient peoples, this symbol served as an indicator of planting and harvesting time. A beautiful spiral decorating the grave of the famous mathematician Jakob Bernoulli read, Eadem mutata resurgo - Altered, I will resurrect as the same.

The spiral is also a symbol of life force on the level of the cosmos as it is on the level of the micro-cosmos. The double-helix structure of DNA is the basis of all life, being contained in every living cell.

Undoubtedly, the metaphors in this painting are linked to theatrical symbols. The action takes place "onstage," where the night sky is a blue drape, the Moon a shining pendulum or lamp, and the grass a fuzzy carpet. As in past performances, an actor's voice declares from a huge horn, "Morning has come!" The curtains are drawn to reveal a morning scene bursting with all of the colours of a sunrise.