Trees in Art

(Hardback)

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In this superbly illustrated book, Charles Watkins explores the myth and magic of arboreal art. Enter the groves of the classical world, from Daphne's metamorphosis into a laurel tree to the gardens of Pompeii. The tree in sacred art is represented in master works by Botticelli and Michelangelo. The oak as a symbol of nationhood and liberty across Europe is revealed. The mystery and drama of forest interiors, the formal beauty of avenues of trees, the representation of forestry over the ages and the world of `more than real' trees in the fantastic and surreal art of Arcimboldo, William Blake, Arthur Rackham and Salvador Dali are each illuminated in fascinating detail, coming right up to date with Giuseppe Penone and Ai Wei Wei. Watkins also elucidates the practice of genius in how artists learned to draw trees.

Each thematic chapter takes a breathtaking journey through centuries of artists' engagement and fascination with a natural form that seems to allegorize or mirror the human journey through life. Drawing on the author's deep knowledge of the history and ecology of trees, Trees in Art shows that we can learn much about ourselves from the art of trees.

Reviews

"As Watkins makes clear in Trees in Art, especially after Claude and the rise of landscape in eighteenth-century Rome, trees often became mere devices for framing views. Ruskin felt it was virtually 'hopeless' to paint 'dark masses of laborious foliage.' Thankfully for us, artists from Giuseppe Arcimboldo to Max Ernst have given it a go."-- "World of Interiors"
"Watkins draws on his deep knowledge of the history and ecology of arboreal art through the centuries. . . . A fascinating tour of artists' arboreal obsessions, Trees in Art will appeal to anyone interested in trees and the landscape."-- "Outdoor Photography"
"With Corot's stunning Fontainebleau, in the Forest on the cover and 203 illustrations on its 256 pages, Trees in Art might resemble a 'coffee-table book, ' but there is more depth to it than that. Watkins, a professor of rural geography, has recently written two books on woods and forests and his knowledge shines through. . . . A beautiful, fascinating and entertaining book, on quality papers, and well worth 35."-- "Scottish Forestry"

Author Bio

Charles Watkins is Professor of Rural Geography at the University of Nottingham. His recent books include Uvedale Price (1747-1829): Decoding the Picturesque (2012) with Ben Cowell, Trees, Woods and Forests: A Social and Cultural History (Reaktion, 2014) and Europe's Changing Woods and Forests (2015), ed. with Keith Kirby.