Kalenderblad november met vlooiende apen 1909

This November calendar page with monkeys grooming each other was made by Theo van Hoytema, but the year is unkown. The subdued palette of browns and grays, alongside the repetitive monkey motif throughout, hints at printmaking as a process that allows for the creation of multiples. Look closely at the ways Hoytema has rendered the monkeys' fur – it's not about illusionism but about a kind of tactile surface, a pattern of marks that evoke texture. I see a lot of little hatching marks, which read like tiny delicate scratches all over, as if the artist has spent a lot of time building up the image bit by bit. Each mark seems to be an attempt to describe form and also capture some inner quality. It's the repetition and the subtle variations that draw me in; it’s almost meditative, like watching water ripple or leaves rustle. It reminds me of other artists who were thinking about pattern and nature, like Walter Crane or even William Morris, using repeated motifs. But here, it’s like Hoytema’s zoomed in, showing us the everyday intimacy of the monkeys, making art about connection and care.