Kalenderblad februari met kraaien 1917

Editor: This is Theo van Hoytema’s "Kalenderblad februari met kraaien," or "February Calendar Sheet with Crows," from 1917. It's a print made with ink and pen. It has a rather vintage feel, like something from an old-fashioned storybook. How do you interpret this work in light of its historical moment? Curator: Well, what strikes me is its stark simplicity combined with a quiet commentary on the passage of time. Created during the later years of the first World War, it brings a specific lens through which we may view it. Can we consider the crow, often seen as an omen, and its repetitive imagery atop a calendar that marks only the days in a month of February, perhaps as a symbol for something? Editor: A symbol for… wartime anxieties, perhaps? The bleakness of February mirroring the uncertainties of the era? Curator: Precisely. Consider, too, the Ukiyo-e influence, visible in the landscape elements and composition. Japanese art was gaining popularity in Europe at the time. In light of that, it suggests a potential cross-cultural dialogue – a moment to find grounding outside of European culture while a cataclysmic conflict was raging on. What connections do you see in how it embodies these seemingly opposite ideas? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way. Now that you mention it, the stylized birds against the grid of the calendar create a kind of tension between the natural world and the imposed order of human timekeeping. Maybe a quiet disruption, especially amidst wartime chaos? Curator: I agree! The stark black and white reinforces this sense of disruption, highlighting the delicate balance between the aesthetic influence, the anxieties of war, and the stoic realities of the passing month of February, calling our attention to the importance of time and the inevitability of changes that we mark. I find that we are left questioning where beauty or hope resides when facing disruption of everyday existence, but still mark our lives with such accuracy and attention to time and passing moments. Editor: It’s amazing how much history and meaning can be packed into what initially seemed like a simple calendar page! Thanks, this gave me an entirely new perspective. Curator: Likewise. It's always a privilege to view artworks in such a revealing new way.