The Bent Tree
1666
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
Artist
Jan Hackaert
Jan Hackaert (1628–1685) was an artist, born in Amsterdam.
See the richer artist page1666
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The Bent Tree is a 1666 by Jan Hackaert, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This drawing shows a lone tree with twisted, gnarled branches leaning over a small pond. In the background, other trees line a flat horizon, and a person stands near the water’s edge, holding something small. The lines are precise, with dark shading to show depth in the water and leaves. The bent tree is the focus—its roots spread wide, almost like it’s struggling to stay upright. The artist used shading to make the scene feel three-dimensional, even though it’s just ink on paper. Try looking up *chiaroscuro* to see how this shading trick works in other art.
Jan Hackaert (1628–1685) was an artist, born in Amsterdam.
See the richer artist page
