Studieblad met zittende of klimmende man en een staande vrouw c. 1652 - 1658

Gesina ter Borch rendered this study sheet with pencil, capturing figures amidst trees, archetypal symbols of life, growth, and the human connection to nature. Notice on the right sheet, a woman stands beside a tree, perhaps collecting fruit. This recalls images of women and trees stretching back to ancient myths of fertility and abundance. Think of Eve beneath the tree of knowledge, an image laden with potential and sin, or even Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruitful abundance, forever entwined with the orchard. Such imagery taps into our collective unconscious, where the symbolism of the tree resonates deeply. It’s a primal connection, linking us to cyclical patterns of growth, death, and rebirth. Ter Borch’s study, though simple, is a fragment of an ongoing visual language—an echo of human experience passed down through generations. The tree, the figure: a timeless dance.