The shark depicted in the painting is a white shark at the surface and, if you look, an ichthus symbol is present as well. The ichthus (sometimes spelled ichthys) is an ancient Christian symbol depicting a simple fish made from 2 curved lines. Sharks are fish, but they differ from the regular (boney) fish in the water. Sharks are incredibly diverse, but the purposeful swim and demeanor of sharks is a great analogy to how Christians should live for God’s divine purpose.