The Old Maple 1920

Alfred Stieglitz captured "The Old Maple" in a gelatin silver print. The photograph presents us with an arresting close-up of a tree trunk, dominated by a dark, cavernous hollow that pierces its heartwood. This hollow, reminiscent of an eye socket staring back at the viewer, evokes a sense of mortality and the relentless passage of time. It reminds me of the recurring motif of skulls in vanitas paintings, symbols of decay found in Dutch Golden Age art. Think of the way skulls and the hollow eye sockets force the viewer to confront the transient nature of existence. Stieglitz’s photograph, absent any explicit symbolism, channels that same feeling through the natural form of the tree. The image resonates with deep, subconscious anxieties about aging and death, much like the memento mori that reappear throughout art history. It is a poignant reminder of the life cycle, as potent and enduring as the ancient symbols that haunt our collective memory.