Lathyrus 1873 - 1917

Curator: Welcome. Before us is "Lathyrus," a pencil drawing made sometime between 1873 and 1917 by the Dutch artist, Theo van Hoytema. Editor: It’s delicate, almost ethereal. The blue pencil lines are so light against the paper that it feels more like a memory of a sweet pea than a representation. There is a distinct air of wistful longing that comes from its lightness. Curator: Hoytema was quite involved with the Hague School, and it’s clear to see that landscape influence in his meticulous detail in the natural world here. But you are right, he does something special with this one. Though classified as realism, it moves into the poetic and emotionally evocative. Editor: The single sweet pea, rendered so delicately, really focuses the attention. One almost feels the plant’s vulnerability. Knowing the time period in which this work was crafted, it encourages questions. What’s happening in Dutch society that leads artists towards themes of fragile beauty? How does the role of the natural world transform through industrialization? Curator: That's interesting to consider. I wonder about Hoytema's intention during the creative process itself. The style reflects his social milieu but what internal dialogues shaped it? In the Netherlands around the turn of the century, art was grappling with the rapid changes brought by modernization. The light and rendering technique, however, could also be referencing Japan and their printing traditions. There was also the burgeoning movement toward spiritualism in response to what many saw as materialism threatening society, the tenuous drawing may have reflected a reaching beyond. Editor: I agree. The transparency, the almost-not-there quality makes one ponder what we choose to see and preserve, in art, in nature, in history. What statements are we making with those artistic choices? Curator: Exactly. Seeing this at the Rijksmuseum also adds another layer, doesn’t it? The institutional validation, if you will, of a drawing that seems to defy the monumental and instead, embraces the ephemeral. Editor: It forces us to question why some art is elevated. Hopefully pieces like this lead to new and continued conversations that re-imagine artistic canons! Curator: Precisely. "Lathyrus," in its quiet way, whispers about larger histories, and perhaps our own potential to observe the quieter beauties that sustain us. Editor: Agreed, it's an invitation to observe more, to listen more deeply, to the quieter voices both in the art world and our world in general.