MUSEUMS

TheRomanticSymbolismofTrees

CarlPhilippFohr,TheRuinsofHohenbaden(1814/15),Watercolor(courtesytheMorgan
Library&Museum,ThawCollection)

TheRomanticlandscapeartistsofthe18thand19thcenturyweresoobsessedwith
natureandtheskiesabovethatin1856criticJohnRuskincalledthefrenzy
moderndaycloudworship.Theyalsosawsubjectsforexpressingthespiritual,giving
meaningtoeachtreeandboulder.In
ADialoguewithNature:RomanticLandscapes
fromBritainandGermany
,whichopenedlastmonthattheMorganLibrary&Museum,
thatfusionofanintensestudyofthenaturalworldwiththeimaginationisexploredin37
drawings.
Aswiththe
Victorianlanguageofflowers
,specifictreeshavetheirownsymbolism.
ReverendWilliamGilpin,anartistandcleric,stateditisnoexaggeratedpraisetocalla
treethegrandest,andmostbeautifulofallproductsoftheearth.Intheformofthetree,
artistsfoundexpressionsoflife,death,andthegreatbeyond.
ADialoguewithNature
includesworkbothfromtheMorgansworksonpaperholdings,
andtheCourtauldGalleryinLondon,andemphasizesthiscultofnature.Hereare
someofthemeaningsoftreesinRomanticartthatareevokedintheexhibition,aswell
asinthelandscapetraditionofthetime.

BlastedTrees

HubertRobert,LaCascade,oiloncanvas(viaW
ikimedia)

Oneofthefrequent,ominoustreesymbolsistheblastedtree.Hereapoortreehas
beenterriblywounded,perhapsbyarecentlightningstrike,althoughitsoftenanold
battlescar.Whatsimportantisthatthetreeisusuallystillliving,leavesclingingtoits
batteredbranches.TotheRomanticsitrepresentedthecycleofnature,fromdeathto
life,allatonce.Itcouldalsobeaforebodingsymbolforthoseventuringintothewild,a
disruptionofthepastoralpeace,asthewrathofGodcanfelleventhesetimbergiants.
InMaryShelleys
Frankenstein
,VictorFrankenstein
declareshimself
ablastedtreein
regardstohisowndestruction.


GeorgeHayter,AftertheStorm(1833),oiloncanvas(viaW
altersArtMuseum
)

TheLoneTree

CasparDavidFriedrich,VillageLandscapeinMorningLight(TheLoneTree)(1822),oilon
canvas(via
AlteNationalgalerie)

Theblastedtreeoftencrossesoverwiththelonetree.HereCasparDavidFriedrichhas
depictedasurvivor.Itspeakisfractured,yetithasendured.Belowitstandsasolitary
shepherd,andtheresasubtextthatasthismanlivesanddies,thetreewillcontinuein
itslongerlife.Alsonoticethechurchoffinthedistance,dwarfedbythetree.
Friedrich

wasntdiminishingthespiritual,hewasshowingthatitwasdeeperandmoreuniversal
thanthefaithofonechurch.

DeadTrees

CasparDavidFriedrich,AbbeyamongOakTrees(180910),oiloncanvas(viaA
lte
Nationalgalerie)

WhatCasparDavidFriedrichreallyadoredweredeadtreesincemeteries,whichhe
capturedwithexceptionalgloominess.Afairlyevidentsymbol,thedeadtreesstoodfor,
well,death.Positionedalongsideruins,likeinAbbeyamongOakTrees(180910),
theywerealsoareminderofhoweventhegrandestofmonumentsfade.Friedrich
wasntalwayssoheavyhanded.BelowinLandscapeonRgenwithShepherdsand

Flocks(1809/1810),includedinthe
ADialoguewithNature
exhibition,justhasthe
deadtreesnappedtoastumphauntingtheforegroundofanotherwisecheery
landscape,asmallmementomori.

CasparDavidFriedrich,LandscapeonRgenwithShepherdsandFlocks(1809/1810),Pen
andblackink,brownwash,graphite,andopaquewhitewatercolor(courtesytheMorgan
Library&Museum,ThawCollection)

ReachingtotheSky

JosephAntonKoch,LandschaftnacheinemGewitter(1830),oiloncanvas(viaS
taatsgalerie
Stuttgart
)

AnotherartisttousethetreesasaspiritualsymbolwasJosephAntonKoch,whointhis
1830landscapehastreesreachinguptoarainbowrepresentingtheheavens.Itsan
ideaherepeated
several

times
,evokingtheconnectionofheaventoearth,andour
strivingbetweenthetwo.

TreesEntwined

ThomasGainsborough,JohnandAnnGravenor,withtheirdaughters(1754),oiloncanvas
(via
YaleCenterforBritishArt)

Treescouldalsobemoresubtlesymbols,suchasinthis1754portraitoftheGravenor
familybyThomasGainsborough.Inthissquareshapedpainting,takingasortof
preInstagramappreciationforthebalanceofthatframe,Gainsboroughemphasizedthe
connectionandharmonyofthefamilywithtwotreesentwinedbehindtheparents.

GnarledGiants

SamuelPalmer,OakTreeandBeech,LullingstonePark(1828),Penandbrownink,
graphite,watercolor,opaquewatercolorandgumglaze,ongraypaper(courtesytheMorgan
Library&Museum,ThawCollection)

Finally,thereistherootedstrengthoftreesthattheRomanticslovedtodepictinan
almostanthropomorphizedway,wherethebarkappearsmovingandliving.Hereinan
1828drawingfrom
ADialoguewithNature
,SamuelPalmerhascapturedthesturdy,

twistingtrunkofanoak.Alongwithitssymbolismofendurance,itmayhavealso
reflectedonthestrengthofthecountryitthrivedin:England.
ThetreesarejustapartofthegreatersymbolismofRomanticlandscapes,butthrough
thecarefullydepictednature,reinterpretedinstudiosthroughtheimagination,thereisa
windowintothepowerfulmeaningofnaturetotheseartists.
ADialoguewithNature:RomanticLandscapesfromBritainandGermany

continuesat
theMorganLibrary&Museum(225MadisonAvenue,UpperEastSide,Manhattan)
throughSeptember7.