Bergachtig landschap in Italië 1648 - 1671

Jan de Bisschop rendered this Italian mountainous landscape with pen and brown ink around the mid-17th century. At first glance, it is a serene scene, but consider the motif of the tree. Trees, with their roots reaching deep into the earth and branches stretching towards the sky, have long been symbols of life, growth, and connection between the earthly and the divine. Yet, how often have we seen trees used as emblems of loss and mourning? Think of Caspar David Friedrich’s solitary oaks in desolate landscapes. Here, the trees stand as silent witnesses to the passage of time, embodying both the vitality of nature and the inevitability of decay. This duality evokes a sense of melancholy, tapping into a collective memory of nature's power to both create and destroy. It is in this cyclical return, this perpetual oscillation between opposing forces, that we find the enduring power of symbols. They remind us that history is not linear but a continuous, evolving dialogue between past and present.