Winter Night 1910

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin painted this winter night scene with oil. The trees stand tall and still, their dark silhouettes stark against the snow and night sky. Consider the tree—a potent symbol. Since ancient times, the tree has represented life, growth, and connection between the earthly and divine realms. In Nordic traditions, the world tree Yggdrasil connects the heavens, earth, and underworld. Likewise, the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden is a symbol of enlightenment, but also of the fall. Here, the trees evoke a sense of solitude, reflecting a deep, perhaps subconscious, sense of introspection. The starkness of winter strips away the superficial, leaving only the essential form. This stark landscape, with its simplified forms, speaks to a universal human experience of confronting the basic elements of life and nature. The image reminds us that symbols are never static. They echo through history, evolving with each retelling, each new context, adding layers of meaning to our collective consciousness.