Tentoonstellingsaffiche met een pauw en een fazant voor een tentoonstelling van Theo van Hoytema bij Firma Frans Buffa en Zonen te Amsterdam in 1896 before 1896

Editor: This poster, for an exhibition of Theo van Hoytema's work at Firma Frans Buffa en Zonen in Amsterdam, sometime before 1896, has an incredibly calming, naturalistic quality, despite being an advertisement. What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: You know, it's funny, it reminds me of a half-remembered dream. The stylized peacocks, almost heraldic, amidst the flowing Art Nouveau floral border… it’s an invitation, not just to the exhibition, but to a whole mood. I see that green, almost celadon, that’s not quite natural, it almost feels nostalgic for something that maybe never existed. I wonder, do you find it more organic or constructed? Editor: That's a fascinating point! I initially saw the natural elements, but now I'm noticing the rigid frame, the stylized rendering. Maybe it's a controlled nature, a curated wilderness. It really speaks to the tensions in Art Nouveau, doesn't it? Curator: Precisely! And remember, posters weren't just advertisements. They were public art, democratizing aesthetics. Imagine this popping against a brick wall – the fleeting beauty made accessible. I see that you recognize that the placement of the peacocks isn't incidental but carefully thought out. What feelings arise when you view it? Editor: It makes me think about beauty being used to draw people in, like the birds themselves! I now feel like I appreciate the work more fully for it; thank you. Curator: Indeed! Perhaps that is part of Hoytema’s subtle genius: to elevate advertising into art, a reflection of nature tempered by human craft and desire. We've taken wing here ourselves, I'd say!