There Are More Eyes than Leaves on the Trees

Deep in a forest lit from within, tiny figures make their way between trees that shimmer in shades of blue and white. Jules de Balincourt, a French-born painter who lives and works in Brooklyn, filled this scene with an odd green glow that seeps out from the rocks, giving the whole grove a feeling of being alive. The title, "There Are More Eyes than Leaves on the Trees," hints at the unsettling idea running through it: the forest may be watching the people who wander through it.

De Balincourt builds his worlds from memory and imagination rather than real places he has stood in. He usually skips the planning sketches and lets each painting take shape as he goes, which is why his scenes feel loose and instinctive. The bold, slightly unreal colors he chooses keep the mood hovering somewhere between magic and quiet dread.

Part of the appeal is how small the human figures feel against the towering plants and shadowy spaces. They could be travelers, lost souls, or stand-ins for us, dropped into a landscape that is gorgeous and a little threatening all at once. The painting leaves you wondering who really holds power in this glowing wilderness, the people or the trees.