Who painted A Widely Expanding Oak Tree?

A Widely Expanding Oak Tree was painted by Carl Wilhelm Kolbe.

Where can I see A Widely Expanding Oak Tree?

A Widely Expanding Oak Tree is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is A Widely Expanding Oak Tree?

A Widely Expanding Oak Tree is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

A Widely Expanding Oak Tree

Carl Wilhelm Kolbe

A Widely Expanding Oak Tree is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Carl Wilhelm Kolbe. It is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Look for another of Kolbe’s works in the same room at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

This etching shows a single oak tree with sprawling branches and deep shadows. The lines dig into the paper like roots, giving the tree weight and life. You can almost feel the bark under your fingers.

Carl Wilhelm Kolbe made this in 1825. He was one of the first German artists to master etching on laid paper. The grain of the paper shows through, adding texture to the leaves and bark.

Look for another of Kolbe’s works in the same room at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Overview

Carl Wilhelm Kolbe’s print titled *A Widely Expanding Oak Tree* is an etching executed on laid paper. The image presents a solitary oak with extensive, spreading branches rendered in deep chiaroscuro, emphasizing the solidity of the trunk and the texture of the bark.

Technique & Style

Kolbe employed traditional copperplate etching, allowing the incised lines to cut into the paper’s surface, which creates a tactile sense of bark and foliage. The laid paper’s visible grain contributes a subtle texture that interacts with the etched marks, enhancing the impression of leaf clusters and shadowed limbs.

History & Provenance

The work dates from the late 1820s, a period when Kolbe was among the first German artists to explore etching on laid paper. It entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where it is displayed alongside other pieces by the same artist.

Context

Kolbe’s practice reflects the early 19th‑century German interest in natural subjects and the technical possibilities of printmaking. By focusing on a single, monumental tree, the etching aligns with contemporary Romantic fascination with the sublime qualities of nature.