Kraai 1878 - 1908

Theo van Hoytema created this print of a crow in the Netherlands, but we don’t know exactly when. It’s a lithograph, which is a type of printmaking that allowed for the relatively easy reproduction of images. Hoytema was a Dutch artist known for his depictions of birds, and this image is fairly typical of his work. But what makes this image interesting is not simply its subject matter, but the period in which it was made. The late 19th century saw the rise of mass media. The printing press allowed for the wide circulation of images in newspapers, magazines, and books, and prints like this one catered to a growing market for affordable art. To understand this artwork better, we might look at the history of printmaking and the rise of mass media in the Netherlands, or perhaps delve into the social and cultural meanings of birds in Dutch society. In doing so, we can appreciate the ways in which art is always embedded in a particular time and place.