De kleine vogels bleven spoedig achter en vielen vermoeid en afgemat weer op den grond 1892

Theo van Hoytema made this print of birds using lithography. Its Dutch text translates to: 'The little birds soon lagged behind and fell tired and exhausted to the ground again!' We might consider this image as it relates to the rise of the modern environmental movement in the Netherlands, and anxieties about the loss of nature in the face of growing urban spaces. Hoytema was an important figure in the Dutch Arts and Crafts movement, and his prints often combined images of nature with text in a way that can be compared to the work of William Morris. This brings an interesting institutional history into view: both men were involved in the production of affordable artworks, thus challenging the traditional boundaries of the art world. To understand the image more deeply, it is important to look into the political and cultural context of the Netherlands at the turn of the century, accessing archives that may shed light on the cultural meanings of the image of birds.