Kalenderblad voor maart 1898 1897

Curator: Well, doesn't this just look like a whimsical rainy day? I adore the way this piece just oozes fin-de-siècle melancholy, like a rainy Tuesday afternoon spent dreaming of sunnier skies. Editor: Theo Nieuwenhuis created this "Kalenderblad voor Maart 1898," calendar sheet for March 1898, in 1897. What I find particularly compelling here is how he encapsulates the experience of societal mood through something as simple as a calendar. Curator: Absolutely. It’s not just functional, it's a mood ring for a whole month! Look at how the rain sort of...weeps down the sides. And those adorable figures with their little umbrellas! Each an individual trapped under the gloom of inescapable days. Editor: Yes, the figures draw me in, too. But the decorative nature is so interesting as it relates to production. Think of how printmaking enabled artists to make art accessible to more of the public, embedding those moods within daily life. Curator: You know, I always imagine Nieuwenhuis sketching these out on a damp morning, inspired by his neighbor's grumpy walk to work! The humor is just subtle enough to balance the heavier feeling of impending Spring in a perpetually overcast climate. Editor: I appreciate how you interpret the neighbor! Thinking through a contemporary lens, I'm thinking about weather as it intersects with socio-economics, climate change, health...How do we prepare or reconcile with inescapable days? It has me thinking about the work of laboring, especially for marginalized groups and within this region. It looks like such simple Art Nouveau, but it brings to mind important issues. Curator: Precisely, beneath the pretty surface there's that quiet questioning—the calendar, after all, is a record of our brief dash through time. Editor: So true. It’s a beautiful reminder that art, even something as unassuming as a calendar, can open up crucial dialogue. Thank you for sharing these brilliant insights with me today!