Two trees 

Victor Müller’s drawing presents us with two trees, rendered with a delicate hand in graphite. These arboreal figures, so simply depicted, carry within them a wealth of symbolic resonance. Across cultures, trees symbolize life, growth, and the connection between the earthly and the divine. This symbolism is not static. Consider the ‘Tree of Life’ motif, echoing through ancient mythologies from the Nordic Yggdrasil to the biblical Tree of Knowledge. Müller’s trees evoke a similar sense of rootedness and reaching, but the starkness of the medium strips away any overt religious context. There’s a haunting quality to these solitary figures, a sense of melancholy perhaps. This reflects a broader cultural anxiety of the 19th century, questioning humanity’s place in nature. Like spectral presences they embody a potent image. A reminder of nature's enduring power.