Bosgezicht 1638 - 1675

Adriaen Verboom rendered this "Bosgezicht" using pen in gray on paper. Here we see the forest not merely as a physical space, but as a vessel of potent symbols. The trees, with their reaching branches, echo the ancient motif of the Tree of Life, found in cultures from Mesopotamia to Scandinavia. These arboreal figures connect the earthly realm with the heavens, representing growth, sustenance, and the cyclical nature of existence. Consider the pervasive image of the forest as a site of transformation in folklore. It appears in the story of Little Red Riding Hood, who strays off course and encounters the wolf; or in the Epic of Gilgamesh, where the hero ventures into the Cedar Forest to face the guardian Humbaba. The forest embodies the uncharted territory of the psyche. The image speaks to our deepest fears and aspirations, a reminder of the untamed wilderness both outside and within ourselves.