Bomen bij een poel 1817 - 1884

Jean Alexis Achard created this artwork, Bomen bij een poel, using etching techniques. Here, the stand of trees emerges as a potent symbol—a kind of ‘axis mundi’ connecting earth and sky. Consider the tree as it appears in ancient myths, from the Norse Yggdrasil to the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. These are not merely arboreal forms but vessels of collective memory, laden with the hopes, fears, and moral lessons of humankind. Achard’s trees, clustered and looming, evoke a sense of enclosure and introspection. The way light filters through the branches is almost dreamlike. Light, in a psychological sense, has always represented clarity, truth, and divine revelation. We are drawn into a space where the natural world speaks to the subconscious. The trees in this etching are a reminder of our enduring connection to nature.