Treetop 

This is Peter Becker's "Treetop", a pencil drawing now housed in the Städel Museum. Observe how Becker uses the pencil to create a dense, almost overwhelming canopy. Short, repetitive strokes build up the leaves, while darker, more assertive lines define the underlying branch structure. This contrast is central to the artwork's dynamic. The overall effect borders on abstraction; the tree's form feels less like a literal representation and more like a study in texture and tonal variation. Becker's technique challenges our conventional understanding of landscape drawing. Instead of focusing on linear perspective or clear spatial relationships, he emphasizes the surface quality of the foliage. The tree's dense, all-encompassing presence might evoke the philosophical concept of the sublime, where nature overwhelms and transcends human comprehension. Through the interplay of line and tone, "Treetop" becomes a meditation on the limits of representation itself.