Tue Feb 25 08:04:10 UTC 2025: ## Scientists and Artists Agree: The Secret to a Convincing Tree Lies in Branch Thickness

**CHENNAI, INDIA – February 25, 2025** – A fascinating convergence of art and science reveals a shared understanding of tree representation, according to a new article published in *The Hindu*. Computational biologist Mitchell Newberry argues that the realistic depiction of trees in art hinges on accurately portraying the scaling of branch diameters – a principle central to fractal geometry and the efficient functioning of real trees.

Newberry’s research, published in *The Conversation*, explores the work of Piet Mondrian, whose abstract “Gray Tree” (1911) convincingly depicts a tree despite its minimalist style. The scientist observed that Mondrian achieved this realism through precise scaling of branch thicknesses, mirroring the scale invariance found in nature, where branch diameter adjusts optimally for efficient water transport and structural stability. This contrasts with Mondrian’s later “Blooming Apple Tree” (1912), which lacks this scaling and is less easily identified as a tree, even though it shares similar composition.

Newberry’s team extended this analysis to other artworks, including medieval Islamic carvings and paintings by Klimt and Matsumura Goshun, finding similar adherence to the principles of scale invariance in branch diameter. This suggests that artists, perhaps intuitively, grasp the same fundamental principles of tree morphology that scientists study using mathematical biology and fractal geometry.

The study highlights the consilience between scientific understanding and artistic expression, showing how both disciplines can independently arrive at the same conclusions regarding essential features of natural forms. Newberry suggests this shared understanding contributes to the aesthetic appeal and reassuring quality of natural landscapes. The research provides a fresh perspective on the appreciation of trees, bridging the gap between scientific understanding and artistic interpretation.

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