Woodblock for Man Fishing Under a Tree with Waterfall n.d.

This woodblock for Man Fishing Under a Tree with Waterfall was made by Thomas Bewick. The image is dark, but even in this negative, we can see the fisherman, the tree, the water. Consider the ancient symbol of the tree itself; in myriad cultures, it represents the connection between the earthly and the divine, with roots deep in the soil and branches reaching for the heavens. Like the serpent, or the green man, it’s a symbol that transcends epochs. In earlier times, the tree often embodied life, death, and rebirth in shamanistic traditions across Northern Europe. We see that the tree of life takes on Christian attributes in the medieval period. Here, the tree under which our fisherman stands can be seen as a silent witness, observing the dance between man and nature. It is an enduring motif that resurfaces time and again, a testament to our enduring relationship with the natural world and our subconscious desire for meaning.