Kalenderblad voor mei 1912 met kievitseieren en kemphanen 1911

Theo van Hoytema made this calendar page for May 1912, and it’s just teeming with signs of spring. Look at the nest of eggs up top, nestled in the grass, and then the calendar grid surrounded by daisies – so fresh! I can imagine Theo, out in the fields, sketchbook in hand, observing those lapwings and ruffs. What’s so cool is how he’s captured the feeling of May, not just the look of it. You can feel the earth waking up in the careful hatching and stippling. He wasn’t just copying nature, he was feeling it. And those birds at the bottom – all ruffs in their fancy mating plumage! Each one is unique. It reminds you that artists, like these birds, are always showing off, trying new things, and riffing on what came before. It’s all one big conversation, isn’t it?