Kalenderblad voor oktober 1913 met een kraai en een groep wegtrekkende ganzen 1912

Editor: This is Theo van Hoytema's "Kalenderblad voor oktober 1913 met een kraai en een groep wegtrekkende ganzen," created around 1912, using drawing, print, ink, and woodcut. It's part of the Rijksmuseum collection. There's something so stark and evocative about the monochromatic palette, especially in the contrast between the detailed crow and the more abstract geese. What formal elements strike you most? Curator: Formally, the most compelling aspect is how van Hoytema navigates the picture plane. Note how the linear quality of the woodcut lends itself to both representation and abstraction. The upper register's detailed crow perched on the branch contrasts the abstracted birds in flight; what compositional function might this serve? Editor: Perhaps the positioning anchors the visual weight, guiding the eye through the calendar elements toward the base with its different grouping of crows. Curator: Precisely! It creates a visual rhythm, a sort of call and response, across the different sections of the work. Observe, too, the repetition of the bird motif, but each presented with subtle variations in line and texture, reflecting different psychological states or symbolic weights. The stark contrasts between the light background and the heavy ink create depth and focus. How would you describe the texture achieved by the woodcut technique? Editor: It almost seems rough, deliberate, not refined but really fitting for a calendar with its block like qualities Curator: Precisely, Van Hoytema utilizes the inherent qualities of the medium to amplify his subject matter. The grain of the wood becomes part of the artistic language, emphasizing texture and form and impacting our perception of time and nature's cycle. Editor: That emphasis really does enhance the somber autumnal mood of the work. I see now how the artistic choices amplify its seasonal theme, transforming a functional calendar into something deeply contemplative.