The Three Trees

In his most expressive landscape print, Rembrandt portrayed a wide vista of country around Amsterdam dominated by a cluster of three sturdy trees that resolutely withstand the precipitation and unruly winds springing forth from the sky. This print, a combination of etching, drypoint, and engraving, represents Rembrandt pushing animated life and emotion into the natural world through the use of sweeping directional movements and an ominous juxtaposition of light and shadow. This is Rembrandt’s largest landscape print, and his theatrical treatment of the scene underscored the importance of drama in his work.

It is easy to be moved only by the force of this work and to overlook the smaller details of life that Rembrandt provided. Rarely did artists of this time depict landscapes without people, and Rembrandt was no exception. Tucked away, you will find a fisherman and his companion at the lower left; beyond them, a farmer watches over his cattle. Behind the trees, a horse pulls a cart while to the right an artist records the landscape. And, presented discreetly within the bushes barely visible at the lower right, two lovers enjoy their mutual affection, seemingly oblivious to the turbulent atmosphere surrounding them.