Bomen bij een hekwerk c. 1620 - 1625

This drawing, "Trees by a Fence," was created by Gerard ter Borch the Elder, sometime before his death in 1662. Here, we are confronted with trees, but not merely as botanical specimens. Note how one trunk bends, almost bows, before the invisible forces that shape it. The tree, a universal symbol, roots itself deep in our collective memory. In ancient mythologies, from the Norse Yggdrasil to the Tree of Knowledge in Genesis, it signifies life, wisdom, and the interconnectedness of all things. But here, the tree’s posture evokes something more—a yielding, a vulnerability. Consider the image of the weeping willow, often planted near graves. The tree, with its drooping branches, mirrors human grief. Such associations are not merely intellectual; they are deeply felt, resonating within us. The image serves as a mirror, reflecting our own emotional states and existential concerns. Ter Borch captures the emotional weight of our relationship with nature, evoking the cyclical nature of life, death, and regeneration.