Group of trees 

Franz Kobell rendered this group of trees in ink, revealing more than just a landscape. Trees, ancient symbols of life, growth, and connection between earth and sky, dominate the composition. In antiquity, they were sacred, representing the axis mundi, the world’s center. We find echoes of these ancient beliefs in various cultures, from the Norse Yggdrasil connecting the nine worlds to the Tree of Knowledge in Genesis. Consider the emotional weight of the forest in fairy tales, its darkness both threatening and promising enlightenment. Are we not drawn to the forest as a space of transformation and introspection? Even in our modern, industrialized world, the image of trees evokes a deep, subconscious longing for nature and a simpler existence. This image is another instance in a long, cyclical progression of symbols.