Self-Portrait with Background of Trees 

Tomás Joseph Harris created this evocative self-portrait with ink on paper. The artist stands before us, draped in fabric, perhaps alluding to classical vestiture, set against a backdrop of trees. The trees, framing the artist, evoke a sense of enclosure, a return to nature, as seen throughout art history. This motif reminds us of the pastoral scenes of the Renaissance, where nature provides solace and a space for reflection. Consider, for instance, Giorgione's "Tempesta," where figures are immersed in a landscape pregnant with symbolic meaning. The surrounding trees remind us of the cyclical nature of life and death, a theme deeply embedded in the human psyche. The artist's introspective gaze hints at a profound emotional landscape, engaging us on a subconscious level. In contemplating this portrait, we witness how certain symbols endure and evolve, reflecting our collective memory and the timeless search for meaning in the natural world.