Trees (ca. 1912-1914)

Titled "Trees," this vibrant painting by Henry Lyman Saÿen, created around 1912-1914, presents a lush, abstract panorama that stretches beyond conventional representation. At its core, Saÿen's work conveys a palpable sense of nature's wildness, juxtaposed with a backdrop suggestive of urban encroachment—an interplay accentuating perhaps the tensions between natural beauty and human expansion.Dominating the canvas are bold, leafy forms rendered in striking yellow, their ample contours popping amidst a dense assembly of red and pink foliage beneath. The painting's palette is assertive, with Saÿen employing a primary scheme of reds, yellows, and blues, evoking the raw power of nature through ferocious tones and forms.The composition, bold and somewhat eclectic, also features architectural elements. In the background, stylized buildings in blues and pinks line the horizon, their windows resembling curious eyes watching over the scene. Above rests a skyline punctuated by dark, slender figures—possibly smokestacks or trees, contributing to a scene teeming with both organic and manmade geometry.Through "Trees," Saÿen invites viewers to linger on the contrasting elements of the natural and constructed worlds, delivered through a lens of vivid abstraction and emotional depth.