Bomen 1849 - 1917

This graphite drawing titled 'Bomen,' or 'Trees,' was made by Matthijs Maris. The drawing shows a pair of trees sketched with only a few lines, yet the emotional weight of the image is palpable. Trees, throughout history, have carried profound symbolic weight. In ancient cultures, they were seen as the axis mundi, connecting the earthly and spiritual realms. Think of the Norse Yggdrasil or the Tree of Knowledge in Genesis; they represent life, wisdom, and the interconnectedness of all things. Here, Maris evokes a similar sense of deep connection. The starkness of the trees against the blank background prompts a visceral response. One might recall Caspar David Friedrich's solitary figures dwarfed by nature, a Romantic motif speaking to the sublime power of the natural world and our place within it. The trees stand as silent witnesses, embodying resilience and the cyclical nature of existence, resonating with a collective memory of nature’s enduring presence and the human experience.