Trees

Executed on the spot in black chalk with just a few touches of gray wash, this magnificent drawing is one of the largest and most impressive of Claude’s numerous studies of trees. Rather than a detailed depiction of branches, it is the very essence of the tree as a living organism that Claude seeks to convey, from its invisible yet palpable roots up to its slenderest tendrils. Remarkable for its decorative effect, this drawing provides another example of Claude’s attentiveness to the composition of his studies from life. These large trees became a familiar motif from the mid 1640s onward.