Kalenderblad december met roodborstjes 1903

Theo van Hoytema made this calendar page for December with lithography. You know, when I look at this print, I think about that tradition of artists making calendars and holiday cards. What a beautiful thing to want to do, to mark the passage of time with images! I imagine Van Hoytema hunched over a stone, carefully drawing the holly and the chubby little robins with their bright chests. Look how the snow drips down with the slightest suggestion of grey. It reminds me of Japanese prints. You can see the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement in the decorative border. Wouldn't it be wonderful to receive this in the mail? I bet Van Hoytema felt connected to people as he worked on this, knowing it would hang in their homes. A small gesture of warmth in the bleak midwinter. That's the generous spirit of art, isn't it?