Landscape 1975

Here we see a landscape by Hryhorii Havrylenko, rendered with stark, cross-hatched lines. A solitary tree stands amidst a dense forest, and this immediately calls to mind the "arbor philosophica," the tree of philosophy. The tree is a long-standing symbol in the history of human consciousness. In ancient cultures, it served as the axis mundi, connecting the earthly and divine realms. Here, notice how Havrylenko positions the tree: it is set against an intricate, dark background, an almost claustrophobic texture that could stir deep, subconscious anxieties about nature. Think of the wood as an ancient site of occult knowledge. The symbol of the tree persists, reappearing across epochs, from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden to Yggdrasil, the world tree of Norse mythology. But in Havrylenko's landscape, its stark loneliness evokes a sense of existential contemplation, engaging the viewer on a deeply psychological level. This symbol, laden with centuries of meaning, resurfaces here, embodying the cyclical nature of cultural memory.