Uilen op een tak 1873 - 1917

Curator: This drawing is titled "Owls on a Branch" by Theo van Hoytema, dating between 1873 and 1917. It’s an ink drawing, currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: It feels very…stark. The high contrast between the black ink and the bare paper really emphasizes the watchful presence of the owls. They have these wonderfully intense stares. Curator: Van Hoytema, working at the height of Art Nouveau and also with a foot in Symbolism, uses the owl here, a traditional symbol. I’d suggest this drawing explores the shifting representation of animals as figures burdened by meaning but also objects of industrial exploitation. Editor: Exactly! And those piercing eyes…Owls have been associated with wisdom, of course, but also with the occult and the night. I’m curious about what that means within its cultural moment—were those meanings particularly present for the original audience? Curator: Definitely. Van Hoytema's rendering contributes to a visual language circulating at the time when rapid urbanization and the development of mass media shaped how the natural world, and rural spaces, were viewed by those who mostly experienced the world through the lens of technology and commodification. Editor: And in this iteration, the rendering style also strikes me. There's something almost cartoonish about it, yet those eyes hold a very serious, almost melancholic expression. Is that because the owl symbolizes knowledge, that is, the limits of rationality in an era gripped by anxieties? Curator: Perhaps, it may suggest anxiety given its period and socio-political climate. Owls can also signify social awareness as they see the complete picture in times of hardship or conflict. Van Hoytema may suggest that society must pause and engage owl-like wisdom if it wishes to navigate impending political conflict and its ramifications. Editor: That resonates deeply. It feels so relevant to our current moment, doesn't it? An image from over a century ago speaking to our present anxieties about uncertainty, and our hopes for finding wisdom in it all. Curator: Absolutely. Examining this drawing in relation to van Hoytema's personal history or the broader political situation shows his artistic ingenuity. The owls serve as reminders, or potentially warnings about cultural change.