Landschap met wilgen en populieren 1921

Simon Moulijn rendered this landscape with willows and poplars using etching. Tall, slender poplar trees frame the scene, their verticality contrasting with the weeping willows along the meandering stream. Trees, so often depicted in art, function as symbols connecting the earth to the heavens. However, the poplar, in particular, has carried various meanings throughout history. In classical antiquity, it was associated with mourning and the underworld, a symbol of lament in funerary rites. Yet, it also represented growth and resilience due to its rapid vertical growth. Consider how Moulijn uses the poplar to evoke a certain psychological state. The trees stand like silent sentinels, perhaps reflecting a deep-seated sense of melancholy or the transient nature of life. This landscape draws us in, inviting contemplation on the cyclical nature of existence, and the enduring power of symbols to convey profound emotional truths. The poplar, in its quiet dignity, continues to speak across the ages.