Veld met bomen en een hek c. 1889 - 1890

This etching, "Veld met bomen en een hek," by Willem de Zwart, captures a rustic landscape, dominated by trees and a simple fence. The trees, with their bare branches reaching skyward, evoke a sense of starkness. Consider the symbolic weight of the tree across cultures. In ancient mythologies, the tree often represents the axis mundi, the center of the world connecting heaven and earth. Even in modern psychology, the tree in dreams symbolizes the self, with roots representing our past and branches, our future aspirations. The fence, a recurring motif, speaks to boundaries and division, yet also protection. Observe how similar barriers appear throughout art history, from Roman fortifications to garden walls. Like defensive walls, the fence is not just a physical barrier, but a psychological one. It evokes a sense of isolation and longing. In the dance of symbols, we see how human emotions and the collective unconscious echo through art, revealing the enduring power of these motifs across time.