Kar en boomstronk 1829 - 1830

This study of a cart and tree trunk was etched by Barend Cornelis Koekkoek, a master of the Dutch landscape, in the nineteenth century. The tree trunk, seemingly simple, echoes a profound symbol: the axis mundi. Across cultures and epochs, from ancient Greece to Norse mythology, the tree connects the earthly and the divine. Rooted in the soil yet reaching for the heavens, it embodies growth, stability, and the cyclical nature of life. Here, the aging trunk with its hollow resonates with the transience of existence. Consider the numerous artistic representations of trees throughout history, from the Tree of Life in countless religious artworks to the solitary oak in Romantic landscapes. Each reflects humanity's enduring fascination with nature's power and fragility. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that we return, generation after generation, to images reflecting nature's embrace.