
Tree Paintings for Sale
In painting, just as in poetry, trees bend but do not break. They offer an array of symbolism: the tree of life, of knowledge, the world's axis and symbol of evolution. They are an omnipresent figure, constant throughout the shifting eras and dominating canvases with their overwhelming grandeur. Trees are as compelling to painters as they are to viewers, seeming to extend their branches almost into the heavens.
For a long time, the tree was only represented as a biblical symbol, the catalyst in the fall of man. Later, in classical paintings, the tree was often relegated to a background object, serving only to prop up other, more important subjects, although some artists like Poussin did make them the focus. Cézanne's The Great Pine, however, is perhaps the best example of a composition entirely dedicated to the tree as a subject, they fill the frame with solid trunks and thick, twisting branches. In a landscape, trees are a sign of splendour and power, towering over the tiny figures of men. In Rubens' The Tempest, they are almost threatening.
The splendour of trees in paintings is greatly affected by the arrangement of the rest of the composition. Sometimes trees seems to support the canvas, marking out the confines of the space. Many painters use trees to give an indication of perspective and depth in the canvas, such as Hodler's Autumn Evening. Trees can also be used to give an indication of where the painting is set: palm trees indicate an exotic setting, lending the canvases an edge of luxury and excitement – as seen in the work of Douanier Rousseau.
The tree can also serve as a metaphor, signifying strength, rootedness, and a sort of natural power that – like even the strongest man – can still end up broken. Anselm Kieffer painted his canvas Varus in memory of the atrocities suffered by Germany in the 20th century; the composition depicts a bloodied forest in reference to the Roman war featured in Tacitus' Germania. The tree can also stand as a symbol for the ceaseless changing of the seasons, often placed in parallel to the human cycle of life. While Hokusai honoured the magnificent cherry blossoms of his native Japan, Monet repeatedly painted his gardens at Giverny, often under the bright light of full summer. Autumn, with its shimmering colours, crisp light, and myriad textures, is an unfailing source of inspiration for artists. Most recently artists have taken to abstracting the form of trees, stripping them back to their most basic elements, like in the works of Raoul Dufy.
In contemporary art, the motif of a tree is most often found in sculpture and installation art because it's so easy to translate into three dimensional media. Traditional art has yet to let trees go, though, and you need to look no further than Mondrian's canvases to see that trees remain a vital element of art history. Browse Artsper's collection of art centred around trees.
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Le Sémaphore de l'Aber Wrac'h
Frédéric Cadiou
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,300

Chemin de Rospico
Frédéric Cadiou
Painting - 73 x 54 x 2 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 0.8 inch
€2,000

Cap Coz - Ombre brûlée / bleu outremer
Frédéric Cadiou
Painting - 61 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 24 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,480


Market Church St. Nicolai Hameln
Gary Westall
Painting - 59.9 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,724

A gust of wind, after Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
Gary Westall
Painting - 50.8 x 61 x 0.5 cm Painting - 20 x 24 x 0.2 inch
€1,762



Children playing in the park
Miroslava Vrbova-Stefkova
Painting - 60 x 50 x 1 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
€900


River near the village
Yaroshevich Anastasia
Painting - 30 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
€220

Arbre caillou baillant aux corneilles
Gris De Garance
Painting - 31 x 23 x 1 cm Painting - 12.2 x 9.1 x 0.4 inch
€150






Birch grove no.3
Karl-Karol Chrobok
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2.2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.9 inch
€600

Tree in Spring Leaves Radiating the Sun impression
Gav Banns
Painting - 30 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
€544


Plant Study No. 97
Elizabeth Becker
Painting - 61 x 45.7 x 0.3 cm Painting - 24 x 18 x 0.1 inch
€188

Série des Forêts No°2
Jean-Marc Teillon
Painting - 116 x 81 x 4 cm Painting - 45.7 x 31.9 x 1.6 inch
€2,500

Hold the Cat Properly
Nataliya Bagatskaya
Painting - 80 x 65 x 1.5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 25.6 x 0.6 inch
€1,300



Soir d'été, Méditérranée
Sophie Roy
Painting - 96 x 68 x 2 cm Painting - 37.8 x 26.8 x 0.8 inch
€980


Not Far From Paradise
Katrina Avotina
Painting - 50 x 59.9 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€1,422

Oxbow Lagoon Diptych
John Kilduff
Painting - 28.7 x 83.8 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.3 x 33 x 0.1 inch
€1,455

My never ending love for you
Ana Hefco
Painting - 25.4 x 20.3 x 3.8 cm Painting - 10 x 8 x 1.5 inch
€310

Early morning in the village
Oksana Ivanyuk
Painting - 15 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 5.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch
€320



Overlooking the Valley
John Kilduff
Painting - 47 x 61 x 0.5 cm Painting - 18.5 x 24 x 0.2 inch
€995

The two rocks, banks of the Sumène
Anne Baudequin
Painting - 61 x 91.9 x 2 cm Painting - 24 x 36.2 x 0.8 inch
€1,690







Thoughts of Monet
Patrice Burkhardt
Painting - 27.9 x 35.6 x 5.1 cm Painting - 11 x 14 x 2 inch
€704







Blooming Apple Orchard
Yehor Dulin
Painting - 60 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
€2,159

Autumn forest
Evgeny Chernyakovsky
Painting - 80 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch
€2,065




Basque Country in the mist
Rocio Ahnert
Painting - 61 x 73 x 3 cm Painting - 24 x 28.7 x 1.2 inch
€750







La rosée de printemps
Charlotte Pivard
Painting - 30 x 30 x 3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch
€150






Force Tranquille de la Forêt
Corine Lescop
Painting - 150 x 50 x 4 cm Painting - 59.1 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch
€3,900










Branch Study No. 13
Elizabeth Becker
Painting - 50.8 x 40.6 x 5.1 cm Painting - 20 x 16 x 2 inch
€282











The Eldritch Hart
Gill Bustamante
Painting - 91.4 x 121.9 x 3.8 cm Painting - 36 x 48 x 1.5 inch
€2,969



Prunier jaune sauvage
Jeong Min Lee
Painting - 97 x 130 x 2.5 cm Painting - 38.2 x 51.2 x 1 inch
€1,100