Traditionally, the forest has come to represent potential danger, mystery, or being lost. It is a frequent motif in fairy tales and literature and one of the most enduring symbols...
Traditionally, the forest has come to represent potential danger, mystery, or being lost. It is a frequent motif in fairy tales and literature and one of the most enduring symbols in visual art. The forest reveals man as he really is—powerless and overwhelmed by superhuman forces. It is the place where man is humbled by the unmoving, inflexible nature, where he is always in danger of losing his way or of falling prey to the dark forces of the other worlds that surround him.
The young woman who dominates La Fôret is afraid of what the scary forest can do to her. She sees shadows appearing and moving, she feels as if everything is watching her—the unseen creatures and moving branches. She personifies the ancient and primitive fear we all have of the dangerous, elusive, and unpredictable nature around us.