Kalenderblad november met drijvende eend 1908

Editor: This lithograph from 1908 is a November calendar page designed by Theo van Hoytema, currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. The tranquil composition, dominated by the image of a duck floating in water, is strangely soothing to look at. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, on the surface it appears a simple, elegant calendar, yet Hoytema was deeply invested in imbuing his work with symbolic meaning drawn from nature. Consider the duck. Across cultures, birds in water often symbolize adaptability, the fluidity of life transitions, and emotional cleansing. What feelings does the water evoke in you? Editor: Calmness, a stillness. Perhaps the duck represents peace and acceptance during the colder months. But why use these symbols for a calendar? Curator: Calendars are, by their nature, time-markers, reminding us of mortality, change, and transition. Hoytema perhaps wanted to inject these potent symbols of nature and endurance into the domestic sphere. The Art Nouveau style with organic, flowing lines enhances that feeling, does it not? The border almost seems like flowing water itself. Editor: Yes, now that you point it out, the border really emphasizes the water imagery. It’s as if the duck is encased by it. So he’s not just showing a calendar, but also making a comment about navigating time itself through the symbols. Curator: Precisely. By focusing on a motif so intimately linked to our emotional landscape, Hoytema elevates the simple act of marking days into something deeper, reminding us of nature's wisdom. Editor: I’ll certainly view calendars differently from now on. The emotional weight hidden within the imagery is astounding. Curator: Indeed. And remember, these symbols evolve and morph over time, carrying new emotional significance to each generation. It is this dialogue that gives the work enduring power.