Kalenderblad juli met tureluur 1906

This calendar page for July, by Theo van Hoytema, features a bird in flight over a field of flowers. It must have taken such care to create this lithograph. The grey and yellow palette is so simple. I can imagine the artist gently placing one color over the other to build up the image. The bird has an elegant swoop to its wing. It makes me think about the arc of the artist’s arm as he drew. I wonder if he felt like he was flying, too? The bird feels both realistic and like a symbol, gliding over the dates, like time passing. I think of Van Hoytema in conversation with other artists like Jan Toorop who were similarly interested in symbolism. It's like they were all sharing ideas, inspiring each other to see the world in new ways. And, for me, looking at this print, I feel inspired to get back to my own studio.