Boom 1874 - 1875

Curator: This delicate drawing is titled "Boom," Dutch for "Tree Trunk," made with pencil by Willem Cornelis Rip between 1874 and 1875. What is your immediate impression of it? Editor: I’m immediately struck by the stillness, a sense of quiet observation. The monochromatic palette really emphasizes the somber mood. The heavy, almost oppressive feeling this uprooted tree conveys is hard to shake. Curator: Indeed. The tree, dominating the composition, appears to be a subject both fallen and observed closely. Its branches, almost like exposed veins, seem to reach and grasp. The pencil medium brings a particular quality, don't you think? Editor: Absolutely, the pencil strokes add a raw, almost vulnerable layer to it. It is difficult to see an uprooted tree not also in terms of power structures – who uprooted it and how this is impacting surrounding ecologies? I am prompted to ask if it serves as a metaphor for displacement and environmental struggle. Curator: That's a powerful interpretation. But even free of context, I sense something primeval and deeply resonant. The artist appears drawn to its form, mapping out the lines, textures, almost archiving its organic being, now seemingly prone. I keep thinking about trees as a consistent symbol throughout different cultures. What are its echoes here, now? Editor: And I suppose those different cultural symbols change when viewed through the lens of colonialism. In landscapes from this period, do trees only become beautiful scenery? The fact is that natural landscapes are not separate from human actions. By including "Boom", did the artist also want us to acknowledge that too? Curator: That could be true. And regardless, Rip captured both the vulnerability and the raw strength inherent in this single, toppled tree, transforming it into an exploration of resilience and a meditation on endings and new beginnings. Editor: For me, the drawing stands as a potent reminder of the impact we have on the natural world, encouraging reflection on what that means both ecologically and politically. The tree’s image urges us to remember that no landscape is without social and political entanglements. Curator: Thank you, the experience of viewing “Boom” has acquired a depth I would not have recognized without that conversation!