MUSEUMS

TheRomanticSymbolismofTrees

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

TheRomanticlandscapeartistsofthe18thand19thcenturyweresoobsessedwith

natureandtheskiesabovethatin1856criticJohnRuskincalledthefrenzy

moderndaycloudworship.Theyalsosawsubjectsforexpressingthespiritual,giving

meaningtoeachtreeandboulder.InADialoguewithNature:RomanticLandscapes

fromBritainandGermany,whichopenedlastmonthattheMorganLibrary&Museum,

thatfusionofanintensestudyofthenaturalworldwiththeimaginationisexploredin37

drawings.

AswiththeVictorianlanguageofflowers,specifictreeshavetheirownsymbolism.

ReverendWilliamGilpin,anartistandcleric,stateditisnoexaggeratedpraisetocalla

treethegrandest,andmostbeautifulofallproductsoftheearth.Intheformofthetree,

artistsfoundexpressionsoflife,death,andthegreatbeyond.

ADialoguewithNatureincludesworkbothfromtheMorgansworksonpaperholdings,

andtheCourtauldGalleryinLondon,andemphasizesthiscultofnature.Hereare

someofthemeaningsoftreesinRomanticartthatareevokedintheexhibition,aswell

asinthelandscapetraditionofthetime.

BlastedTrees

HubertRobert,LaCascade,oiloncanvas(viaWikimedia)

Oneofthefrequent,ominoustreesymbolsistheblastedtree.Hereapoortreehas

beenterriblywounded,perhapsbyarecentlightningstrike,althoughitsoftenanold

battlescar.Whatsimportantisthatthetreeisusuallystillliving,leavesclingingtoits

batteredbranches.TotheRomanticsitrepresentedthecycleofnature,fromdeathto

life,allatonce.Itcouldalsobeaforebodingsymbolforthoseventuringintothewild,a

disruptionofthepastoralpeace,asthewrathofGodcanfelleventhesetimbergiants.

InMaryShelleysFrankenstein,VictorFrankensteindeclareshimselfablastedtreein

regardstohisowndestruction.

GeorgeHayter,AftertheStorm(1833),oiloncanvas(viaWaltersArtMuseum)

TheLoneTree

CasparDavidFriedrich,VillageLandscapeinMorningLight(TheLoneTree)(1822),oiloncanvas(viaAlteNationalgalerie)

Theblastedtreeoftencrossesoverwiththelonetree.HereCasparDavidFriedrichhas

depictedasurvivor.Itspeakisfractured,yetithasendured.Belowitstandsasolitary

shepherd,andtheresasubtextthatasthismanlivesanddies,thetreewillcontinuein

itslongerlife.Alsonoticethechurchoffinthedistance,dwarfedbythetree.Friedrich

wasntdiminishingthespiritual,hewasshowingthatitwasdeeperandmoreuniversal

thanthefaithofonechurch.

DeadTrees

CasparDavidFriedrich,AbbeyamongOakTrees(180910),oiloncanvas(viaAlteNationalgalerie)

WhatCasparDavidFriedrichreallyadoredweredeadtreesincemeteries,whichhe

capturedwithexceptionalgloominess.Afairlyevidentsymbol,thedeadtreesstoodfor,

well,death.Positionedalongsideruins,likeinAbbeyamongOakTrees(180910),

theywerealsoareminderofhoweventhegrandestofmonumentsfade.Friedrich

wasntalwayssoheavyhanded.BelowinLandscapeonRgenwithShepherdsand

Flocks(1809/1810),includedintheADialoguewithNatureexhibition,justhasthe

deadtreesnappedtoastumphauntingtheforegroundofanotherwisecheery

landscape,asmallmementomori.

CasparDavidFriedrich,LandscapeonRgenwithShepherdsandFlocks(1809/1810),Penandblackink,brownwash,graphite,andopaquewhitewatercolor(courtesytheMorgan

Library&Museum,ThawCollection)

ReachingtotheSky

JosephAntonKoch,LandschaftnacheinemGewitter(1830),oiloncanvas(viaStaatsgalerieStuttgart)

AnotherartisttousethetreesasaspiritualsymbolwasJosephAntonKoch,whointhis

1830landscapehastreesreachinguptoarainbowrepresentingtheheavens.Itsan

ideaherepeatedseveraltimes,evokingtheconnectionofheaventoearth,andour

strivingbetweenthetwo.

TreesEntwined

ThomasGainsborough,JohnandAnnGravenor,withtheirdaughters(1754),oiloncanvas(viaYaleCenterforBritishArt)

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

1828drawingfromADialoguewithNature,SamuelPalmerhascapturedthesturdy,

twistingtrunkofanoak.Alongwithitssymbolismofendurance,itmayhavealso

reflectedonthestrengthofthecountryitthrivedin:England.

ThetreesarejustapartofthegreatersymbolismofRomanticlandscapes,butthrough

thecarefullydepictednature,reinterpretedinstudiosthroughtheimagination,thereisa

windowintothepowerfulmeaningofnaturetotheseartists.

ADialoguewithNature:RomanticLandscapesfromBritainandGermanycontinuesat

theMorganLibrary&Museum(225MadisonAvenue,UpperEastSide,Manhattan)

throughSeptember7.