Hornbæk kirke, sommeraften 1887

Carl Locher made this etching, Hornbæk Church, on a summer evening, capturing a scene dominated by the moon, the church, and a stark, bare tree. The full moon, an age-old symbol of cyclical change, fertility, and the feminine, casts an ethereal light, evoking a dreamlike quality. Consider how the church spire reaches toward the heavens, a symbol of faith and aspiration. Its form echoes through centuries, from ancient obelisks to modern skyscrapers, each structure carrying the weight of human longing for something beyond our earthly existence. The bare tree, reaching skyward, recalls similar imagery in folklore, where trees are symbols of life and regeneration. Think of the tree in Edvard Munch’s paintings, expressing the artist’s tortured psyche. Such imagery evokes a deep sense of melancholy. The tree's branches mirror our subconscious, revealing a longing for what is lost, a yearning for cyclical renewal. This is how, time and time again, the emotional power of symbols resurfaces across epochs.