Clearing with a Lumber Mill 1847

John Middleton rendered this watercolor, "Clearing with a Lumber Mill," capturing a serene yet industrious scene. The dominant motif is, of course, the felled tree, a potent symbol echoing through cultural memory. Consider the image of the tree, its trunk severed, repurposed as timber. It is a stark reminder of man's dominion over nature, a theme resonating with ancient myths of sacrifice and renewal, such as the Norse Yggdrasil, a world tree connecting different realms. The act of felling a tree, transforming it into lumber, parallels the alchemical process of transmuting base materials into gold. Just as an old symbol resurfaces through history, so does the tree reappear, reborn into new form. It's an eternal cycle, a continuous expression, tapping into our collective memory of nature's power and human ingenuity.