In Washington Park, Brooklyn, N.Y. 1888

William Merritt Chase captured this scene in Washington Park, Brooklyn, with watercolor. The tree is the dominant motif here. Since antiquity, we have seen trees as symbols of life and knowledge. Think of the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, the Nordic Yggdrasil, or the Bodhi tree, under which Buddha attained enlightenment. The tree in Chase’s painting, however, is not depicted in isolation, but rather in a public park. In that context, it becomes a symbol of community, of urban renewal, and a place of refuge from the bustle of modern life. One might compare the park to the ancient Greek gymnasium or the Roman baths, where people gathered not just for physical exercise but for intellectual and social exchange. The very act of painting ‘en plein air’ can be regarded as an almost religious act, seeking a harmonious relationship with nature, and recording the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere on a canvas, just as Monet did. The tree, the park, the plein air style– all are emotionally charged symbols of the quest for peace and harmony.