Gezicht op de Pijpenmarkt (Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal) te Amsterdam c. 1896

George Hendrik Breitner sketched this view of the Pijpenmarkt in Amsterdam with charcoal on paper. The skeletal trees reach out, their bare branches a stark reminder of the passage of time, connecting us to age-old symbols of life, death, and rebirth. Think of classical depictions of Daphne, her transformation into a tree a poignant representation of metamorphosis and escape. Or consider the World Tree, Yggdrasil, in Norse mythology, linking the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. These trees, like Breitner's, evoke the primal connection between humanity and nature. The image triggers deep-seated emotions, touching on our understanding of change and the cyclical nature of existence. These symbols are never static; they evolve, resurface, and acquire new meanings in different epochs.