Studies voor kalender van 1901: staande vrouw die planten water geeft 1876 - 1924

This is a pencil drawing by Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof, made as a study for a calendar in 1901. The drawing depicts a standing woman watering plants. Dijsselhof was Dutch, working at a time of enormous social change and the rise of industrial capitalism. He was part of the Arts and Crafts movement, a reaction against what they saw as the dehumanizing effects of industrial production. These movements embraced craft production and sought to create beauty in everyday objects. In its depiction of a woman tending to plants, this drawing reflects the values of the Arts and Crafts movement. It evokes a simpler, more harmonious way of life, one in tune with nature and the changing seasons. Calendars themselves were becoming newly popular consumer items, and it is interesting to note how Dijsselhof infused this mass-produced object with his own artistic and political ideals. To understand the artwork better, it would be helpful to research the Arts and Crafts movement and the social context in which Dijsselhof was working, consulting books and articles about his life and work.