Twee figuren in een bos met hoge bomen 1850 - 1913

This is an image made by H. van Meerbeeck, titled "Two figures in a forest with tall trees." Here, the forest itself is the dominant symbol. Forests have long been represented as places of mystery, danger, and transformation in human consciousness. They are a place of the unknown, a landscape where the ordinary rules of civilization are suspended. Think of the dark woods in fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood or Hansel and Gretel. The forest, in those narratives, is not merely a physical location, but a psychological space that represents our deepest fears, desires, and subconscious urges. The two figures, dwarfed by the looming trees, echo the universal human experience of feeling small and vulnerable in the face of nature’s grandeur. The forest is a place of both peril and possibility, a constant motif in our collective memory. It represents the untamed aspects of both the world around us and of our very selves. Through it, we confront the unknown and come face-to-face with our primal fears. The forest is a timeless mirror of the soul.