Stapel boomstammen op een veld 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve’s sketch, “Staple boomstammen op een veld,” presents us with an image of stacked logs in a field, rendered with delicate strokes. At first glance, they may seem like simple logs, but in our collective memory, wood has long carried symbolic weight. In ancient cultures, wood represented life, growth, and the raw power of nature, often linked to the cycle of life and death. Think of the Tree of Life, a widespread motif symbolizing interconnection and ancestral roots. The way Mauve depicts these logs—stacked, yet seemingly unrestrained—resonates with these ancient themes. The logs become more than mere forestry; they represent a form of repressed energy, reflecting primal forces that have been brought under control. They carry echoes of humanity's struggle to reconcile nature. Even today, wood evokes emotions of warmth and comfort, engaging the viewer on a deep, subconscious level. The logs, therefore, become more than timber; they are vestiges of nature, transformed through human work.