George Elbert Burr, born Monroe Falls, - Old Pine and Cedar - ca. 1923 - T-Shirt

Old Pine and Cedar shows ancient evergreens standing firm in the landscape, their trunks and crowns given equal weight in a quiet, unhurried scene.

Visual Elements & Composition

The work is an etching on paper, built from fine lines rather than flat areas of colour. The trees dominate the frame, their gnarled trunks rising and their branches spreading outward, while the ground and sky stay sparing. Nothing crowds the trees, so the eye settles on their shapes and the texture of bark and needles.

Meaning & Symbolism

Pine and cedar have long stood for steadfastness and longevity across many cultures. Here they act as silent witnesses: rooted deeply, shaped by weather and years, and still holding their ground. The image speaks to endurance and to the quiet dignity of the natural world.

George Elbert Burr, born in Monroe Falls, Ohio, in 1859 and died in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1939, devoted his work to the American landscape, especially the American West and its distinctive flora. This etching, dated around 1923, reflects his attention to the subtle details of regional environments. It is held in the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection.

Made for the Wearer

A tee is worn, moved in, and seen up close, so the fine line work of the etching reads clearly as the wearer walks, sits, and turns. The trees are framed as one self-contained scene, and the composition keeps its shape as the shirt moves with the body. It brings a piece of American natural history into everyday wear.