Meisje bij een boom 1832 - 1885

This drawing by Herman Frederik Carel ten Kate, now at the Rijksmuseum, shows a girl next to a tree. The dominant image is the tree, a universal symbol of life and growth. From ancient myths to modern tales, the tree connects heaven and earth, embodying strength and wisdom. Here, though, the girl seems to be scratching something into the bark, perhaps a lover’s initials. We see the tree, then, defaced. Trees appear often, as boundary markers, as sites of ritual. Carvings on trees evoke the Ogham alphabet. This act of carving is reminiscent of ancient rituals where trees were marked with symbols to imbue them with specific powers, though now it's a gesture of something much more mundane. Consider how such acts echo through time, reflecting a primal need to leave a mark on the world. This image resonates with a sense of melancholy, an echo of past hopes and dreams etched into the very fabric of nature. The image evokes a powerful emotional response. It touches on our collective memories, the way we seek to immortalize ourselves.