Schets van een landschap met een kale boom in het midden 1797 - 1870

Andreas Schelfhout sketched this landscape with a bare tree in the center. In many cultures, a tree stripped of its leaves is a powerful symbol of mortality and the cycle of life, representing the harshness of winter and the promise of spring's return. Consider the Yggdrasil, the World Tree of Norse mythology, a central symbol that connects the heavens, earth, and underworld. Its bare branches, particularly in winter, mirror the skeletal tree before us, embodying a period of dormancy and introspection. Yet, the persistence of the tree, its rootedness, suggests an enduring connection to life, mirroring the human spirit's resilience. Psychologically, this stark image may evoke a sense of melancholy or contemplation. The starkness against the landscape reminds us of our own vulnerabilities. Yet, like the tree, we are reminded that the end is never truly the end, but part of an endless cycle of growth and decay.