Etten-Leur: Vincent first noticed the characteristic pollarded willows in Etten. He often drew them, especially in the former Leursestraat. His drawings showed a figurative way of looking at nature. He didn’t just paint a tree, he added a deeper meaning to it. He saw the pollarded willow as a symbol for the way in which people are scarred by life. Later in the South of France he saw Christ’s despair on Mount of Olives reflected in the gnarled olive trees.
