The Book of the Tree: Trees in Art

by Angus Hyland, Kendra Wilson

The Book of the Tree is a celebration of trees in art featuring works by some of the world's leading artists, photographers and illustrators.

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way." William Blake

From stately old oaks to beautiful forests and woods, trees have provided a source of inspiration for artists throughout history.

This charming gift book presents a selection of some of the most beautiful artworks inspired by trees. Interspersed throughout the illustrations are short texts about the artists and their interest in particular trees, from Egon Shiele's delicate watercolors of chestnut trees, to Rousseau's exotic forests, Claire Cansick's vivid woodlands and Hockney's tree-lined groves.

The Book of the Tree presents a wonderful collection of arboreal art that revels in the enduring beauty of our trees, woodlands and forests. It is the perfect gift for art-lovers, tree-lovers and nature-lovers.

More books in the

The Book of the Flower by Angus Hyland and Kendra Wilson (9781786272454)
The Book of the Bird by Angus Hyland and Kendra Wilson (9781780677507)
The Book of the Dog by Angus Hyland and Kendra Wilson (9781780676562)
The Book of the Cat by Angus Hyland and Caroline Roberts (9781786270719)
The Book of the Horse by Angus Hyland and Caroline Roberts (9781786272928)

Genres: Art, Nature, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

Published March 9, 2021

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way." - William Blake

"The murmur of an olive grove has something very intimate, immensely old about it." - Vincent to Theo van Gogh

"In a forest you sense the presence of a deity." - Anton Chekhov

"A hawthorn is the tree most likely to be inhabited by 'wee folk. Hawthorn after all is the entrance to the Underworld."

"In Japan, the transience of cherry blossom is celebrated, not mourned; it inspires reflection on mono no aware, or the pathos of things."

"Poetry in precision: the Russian painter Ivan Shishkin was known as both "Bard of the Forest' and 'Accountant of Trees."

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved - makes me want to go on walks and paint trees in the countryside for the rest of my life.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

4

Un libro precioso. Combina reproducciones de pinturas y grabados donde los árboles son los protagonistas, con pequeñas historias de sus autores y algo de poesía. Un libro de una sensibilidad exquisita.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein schönes Buch mit Abbildungen in hoher Qualität. Die dazugehörigen Texte sind eher anekdotisch und ich hätte manchmal gerne eine Anmerkung zum Material gesehen. Aber zum Blättern und Genießen ist dieses Buch genau richtig.

[Gayatri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant. 😍

[Mayú Belén · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que hermoso libro, "Árboles en el arte" de Hyland y Wilson, recuerdo que cuando vi este libro dije: debe ser mío!!! Y es de los libros que yo sí recomiendo comprar, el libro en papel es una joya, un libro dedicado a los árboles y lo que significaba para varios pintores. 🖤🌲🌳🌴

[Hannah Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit I haven't read every page but I couldn't wait to write a review because this book is just sublime. It is a comforting, soothing book to be picked up and looked at when you need a moment of calm. Every single piece of art is wonderful. It connects me to the natural landscape and also inspires me to pick up a pen or paintbrush and capture it on paper. There is a good mix of famous artists and those who are new to me. A book to treasure.

[Alice Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful book pairs the illustrations of famous artists with historical descriptions, excerpts, and literary quotes. Overall beautiful, informative, and engaging for artists and observers — I think anyone could take something from this!

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

It only feels right to list my favorite pieces of art in this book, in order of presentation.
- Gustav Klimt, Pear Tree
- Vincent Van Gogh, Undergrowth with Two Figures
- Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin, In the Wild North
- Claude Monet, Antibes
- Harold Sohlberg, The Blue Bench
- Dame Laura Knight, Spring at John’s Wood (Overall fav of the book btw)
- Dame Laura Knight, Peach Blossom

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book featuring trees in works of art over the last few hundred years, including many contemporary works. As a tree lover, I enjoyed this very much!

There were little mini bios (~1 page at most) of many of the artists, which were well done and served to break up pages and pages of art.

[Lauraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Maddie Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous photos and beautiful descriptions of how these painters use trees in their art. I’d read this a million times over! I just wish we had a bit more text with substance.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

perfectly lovely blend of artists familiar and unfamiliar, with brief text and quotes scattered throughout. a calming compilation, easy to drop into for a little respite.

[Ruth Brumby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good quality illustrations and quite an interesting selection, but the writing is poor, including describing a monoprint as a 'drypoint'

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life giving.

[Ingrid · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good variety of styles and artists, but the works are frustratingly presented in random order, and it's not clear why some artists get writeups and others don't: Georgia O'Keefe gets one despite only having one of her works included, while Phil Greenwood doesn't merit a single word, despite having the most works of any artist in this book.