Tree c. 1877

Curator: Standing before us is "Tree," a graphite and colored pencil drawing on paper, created around 1877 by Hendrik Pieter Koekkoek. It's a delicate landscape study, currently residing here at the Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: Hmm, first impression? It’s hauntingly beautiful, like a half-remembered dream of a summer day. There’s something ephemeral about the sketchiness of the lines. Curator: Indeed. Koekkoek captures not just the tree's physical form, but its essence, its living presence. I see echoes of Dutch landscape painting—a careful observation of nature blended with an atmospheric quality. Editor: Trees, of course, are loaded symbols. Throughout art history, they represent everything from family trees, literally ancestry and rootedness, to the Tree of Life. It reminds me of Yggdrasil in Norse myth—a connector between realms. Does this particular tree evoke a specific feeling of connection for you? Curator: It’s a reaching-upwards, an aspiration. See how the lines are delicate but firm? They really highlight the yearning of the tree's branches towards the light. Koekkoek’s restraint is brilliant. He avoids overwrought details. Editor: And that selective detail draws your eye. You’re invited to fill in the blanks. Maybe that’s why it feels so personal. I’m also curious about his choice of materials. The combined effect of graphite and colored pencil creates this textured, almost misty quality. What do you think he was aiming for? Curator: A kind of fidelity. Perhaps a commitment to render nature honestly, without idealization. Even in its sketchy state, you can feel the grain of the bark, the delicate sway of the leaves. I can almost smell the damp earth. It's sensory. Editor: It’s intriguing how something so seemingly simple can be so evocative. A single tree, drawn with a light touch, becomes a mirror reflecting our own relationship with nature. Curator: I agree. The drawing becomes less about the tree itself, and more about what the tree makes us feel. A shared human experience. Editor: Well, I certainly feel grounded after that contemplation.