Norman Farm through the Trees 1886

Claude Monet rendered this pastel drawing, Norman Farm through the Trees, with an intimacy suggesting a personal connection to the scene. Here, the motif of the tree, particularly one that dominates the foreground, acts as more than just a natural element. In art history, the tree is a powerful symbol of life, growth, and connection between earth and sky. Its branches reach upwards, aspiring to the divine, while its roots anchor it firmly in the earthly realm. Consider the World Tree, Yggdrasil, in Norse mythology, a central symbol around which the cosmos revolved. Even in Christian iconography, the tree in the Garden of Eden represents knowledge and the fall of man. In Monet’s hands, the tree becomes a lens through which we perceive the landscape, embodying a sense of rootedness and continuity, a silent witness to the passage of time. Perhaps, in the collective subconscious, the tree resonates as a symbol of our own enduring connection to nature. It is an embodiment of persistence and renewal, a natural cathedral.