Gezicht op een eikenboom bij het kasteel te Férage c. 1846

Louis Ghémar captured this view of an oak tree near the castle of Férage using lithography. The oak, a symbol of strength and longevity, dominates the landscape. From ancient Greece to Celtic traditions, the oak has been revered. The Druids considered oak groves sacred, associating them with wisdom and endurance, and its presence here is no accident. We find it, for instance, in Pliny the Elder's writings, describing the tree's long life as a parallel to Roman strength. But consider how its meaning shifts. In some cultures, it represents hospitality, while in others, it's a symbol of defiance. It is this layering, this palimpsest of meaning, that fascinates. The tree is a sentinel, an emotional anchor, that continues to evoke a sense of awe and connection to the past. The oak in Ghémar's lithograph is not merely a tree but a vessel of collective memory, a testament to how symbols resurface, evolve, and echo through time.