Nymph Hiding in a Tree, plate eight from Paysages Dédiés à M. Warelet 1764

Salomon Gessner created this etching titled *Nymph Hiding in a Tree* in the 18th century, now held at the Art Institute of Chicago. The eye is immediately drawn to the rich texture of the foliage, meticulously rendered through a dense network of fine lines and dark ink. The composition centres around a large, gnarled tree. Within it, a nymph is concealed, while another figure peers from behind a bush, creating a sense of voyeurism. Gessner destabilizes the traditional landscape by inserting mythological figures directly into the natural world. The figures, though small, invite us to question the boundary between reality and fantasy. Through his deployment of hatching and cross-hatching, Gessner blurs the distinction between the solid forms of the trees and the ethereal presence of the nymphs, transforming the forest into a space of both refuge and revelation. The print invites ongoing interpretation, reflecting the shifting boundaries of nature, myth, and human perception.