Heuvellandschap met hoge boom en een kerk op de achtergrond 1874

This is a landscape with a tall tree and church in the background, made as an etching by Emilie Rolin-Jacquemijns. The tree, dominating the foreground, is an ancient symbol, a kind of axis mundi, connecting the earthly and the divine. We find its roots in ancient pagan traditions as the Tree of Life, and, later, the Christian cross, bearing witness to sacrifice and redemption. In contrast, the church in the background is a symbol of established religion, community, and a somewhat orderly spiritual life. Note how the tree is placed in the foreground. It serves as a powerful, almost subconscious link to ancestral beliefs, to a time when nature itself was sacred. This tension between the raw, untamed power of nature and the structured, comforting presence of the church touches upon our inner struggles. It touches on our human instinct to connect with something greater. Observe how symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings, reflecting our ever-changing relationship with the past.