Ontwerp voor de omlijsting van een kalender voor 1901 met een vrouw en bloemen 1900

Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof designed this calendar illustration around 1900 in the Netherlands. It combines motifs of female nudity and floral ornament that were typical of the Art Nouveau movement. This image reflects a broader cultural interest in nature, beauty, and the idealization of the human form. We should recognize the influence of Symbolism, with its emphasis on spirituality and sensuality. At that time, artists often turned to non-Western sources for inspiration, but also to the natural world. It is worth reflecting that, although the female nude has a long history in Western art, its appearance here is still highly gendered: the woman is idealized as a symbol of beauty rather than presented as an individual. To better understand this artwork, we can consult sources on the history of Art Nouveau. That would enable us to learn how it was a self-consciously progressive movement, reacting against the industrialization of Europe and critiquing the institutions of academic art.