Kalenderblad maart met tureluurs 1917

Theo van Hoytema created this calendar page for March with lithographic ink on paper. I wonder what van Hoytema was thinking when he made this calendar? Did he sit outside and sketch these lapwings, or did he draw from memory and imagination? I’m drawn to the marks; the textures are incredibly tactile. You can almost feel the scratch of the pen on the lithographic stone, as he searched for the essence of each bird. The lapwings are so animated, full of life. Look at the various poses, the ways the artist captured their movements. It reminds me of how artists like Audubon and Dürer captured the natural world through close observation and detailed rendering. I find myself thinking about how we, as artists, continue to build on the traditions of those who came before us. We absorb, transform, and carry forward their visions into our own work.