Arboretum c. 1914 - 1918

Henry Lyman Saÿen made this drawing of an arboretum with ink. It’s all about the line, isn’t it? The directness, the immediacy of the mark. Saÿen’s hatching strokes define form and space with a nervous energy. See how the web of lines thickens in the shadows, creating depth? It's as if the pen is chasing the light, trying to capture the essence of the place. The dense pattern-making creates a real sense of texture. You can almost feel the rough bark of the trees, the cool surface of the pond. Look at the way the lines dance and flicker, conjuring the movement of light through leaves. There’s a looseness, a sketch-like quality, but also a precision. It reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley’s drawings, but with a wilder, more untamed spirit. It’s that spirit of free exploration that makes Saÿen’s work so compelling, an ongoing conversation across time. Because, really, what is art if not an embrace of ambiguity?