Knotwilgen aan een waterkant c. 1886 - 1888

Anton Mauve captured this waterside scene with knot willows in a drawing. The skeletal forms of the trees, reaching skyward, are powerful symbols, echoing ancient beliefs in the tree as a cosmic axis, connecting the earthly realm with the heavens. These trees are stoic witnesses to the passage of time. In their bare branches, we might find echoes of the Tree of Life, a motif stretching back to ancient Mesopotamia. Think of the Assyrian Tree of Life with its stylized, symmetrical branches, often flanked by protective figures. Over millennia, this symbol has reappeared in myriad forms, from the Kabbalistic Tree of Life to the branching patterns in Romanesque art. The image resonates deep within us, tapping into primal memories and anxieties about mortality, evoking a sense of melancholy beauty, a profound connection to the cyclical nature of life and the enduring power of the natural world.