Bomen bij een poel 1848

Jean Alexis Achard created this print, "Trees by a Pool," where trees stand as silent witnesses, guarding the reflective pool. In art, the symbol of trees are more than just representations of nature. They symbolize life, growth, and connection between earth and sky. Consider the ancient Norse myth of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, or the Tree of Knowledge in Genesis. The tree connects us to our most primal understanding of the world. And then think of the pool: the mirror to the soul, a symbol of self-reflection and the subconscious. The pool invites introspection, yet it also mirrors the trees, uniting the external world with our internal landscape. This union is a perpetual motif: the cyclical return to nature as a means of understanding ourselves. As civilizations rise and fall, the enduring image of trees and water reminds us of our place in the eternal cycle of life. The forest is a silent witness, a reminder of nature's enduring power.