Hohe Bäume an einem felsigen Ufer 

Franz Kobell rendered these "High Trees on a Rocky Shore" with etching techniques. The trees, standing tall, carry a cultural weight beyond mere foliage. The tree is an ancient symbol, appearing throughout history as the axis mundi. It represents a connection between the earthly and the divine, from the Norse Yggdrasil to the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Trees are often linked to life, growth, and the cyclical nature of existence. In the Romantic era, of which Kobell was a part, there was a profound emotional tie to nature. Artists like Caspar David Friedrich depicted nature as a sublime force, capable of evoking deep feelings of awe and introspection. Here, in Kobell’s landscape, the trees embody a sense of the enduring, a silent witness to the passage of time. The image of trees resonates with collective memory. They tap into a primal sense of rootedness and stability, engaging viewers on a subconscious level. It is a symbol, whose non-linear progression has been passed down through history, evolving to take on new meanings.