Kalenderblad voor juli 1911 met een kikker en waterlelies 1910

Curator: Theo van Hoytema created this calendar sheet for July of 1911. Made in 1910, it’s a woodcut print, currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Well, that's awfully charming! I'm getting a real sense of stillness looking at this, almost meditative. It's simple, a bit rustic even, with those water lilies and the little frog just hanging out. Curator: I think your "stillness" speaks to a turn-of-the-century aesthetic sensibility, the yearning for an uncomplicated harmony with nature at odds with rapid industrial expansion. The print is steeped in both Art Nouveau and a reverence for Japanese Ukiyo-e traditions. Editor: Right, I can see that. It reminds me a little of a Monet painting, but more graphic, somehow. Less ephemeral, more about line and shape. What is it about that period and this infatuation with lily pads anyway? Curator: Ukiyo-e artists frequently depicted the natural world in precise detail while also engaging Buddhist philosophies and reverence for ephemeral beauty. These elements coalesced into a kind of nature worship that resonated deeply at a time of intense upheaval and displacement, like our own. Editor: Hmm, that calendar format also strikes me as oddly... democratic? Almost utilitarian in a way. It's beautiful art, sure, but also meant for everyday use, for marking appointments, counting down the days. So down to earth for something so refined. Curator: Exactly! The intersection of function and artistry challenges our preconceptions around high and low art. In its own subtle way, the print disrupts elitist art historical conventions. It reframes the discussion around accessible aesthetics. Editor: So much more than just a cute frog and some flowers. Now I'm seeing all those layers. Curator: Hopefully our listeners can take from this dialogue that visual appeal does not negate political or social meaning. On the contrary, it may amplify the reach and potential impact. Editor: Yes! Who knew a calendar could be so radical? Next time I need to organize my schedule, I'm definitely finding something pretty and subversive to look at.