Gezelschap met een kinderwagen rond een tafel onder een boom 1864 - 1936

This ink drawing by Jan van Essen captures a group gathered around a table under a tree, complete with a child in a stroller. The parasols, held aloft, aren't merely practical; they are symbols of a cultivated life, a shielding from the harsh glare of reality, much like the veils that have concealed and revealed through ages. Consider the tree. A motif as old as civilization, it represents life, growth, and connection. In ancient mythologies, trees were often seen as conduits between the earthly and divine realms. In van Essen’s drawing, the tree provides literal shade and suggests a deeper, more symbolic shelter for this social tableau. The gathering around a table evokes a sense of community, a ritual of sharing and communion. The presence of a child introduces a layer of generational continuity, the promise of future gatherings under the same, or similar, symbolic trees. We see echoes of this scene repeated across time and cultures; from ancient Roman family gatherings depicted in frescoes, to the modern-day park picnics. The very act of sketching itself could be seen as an attempt to capture and preserve a fleeting moment of communal harmony, a delicate dance between light, shadow, and social connection.