Kalenderblad december met roodborstje 1909

Theo van Hoytema made this calendar page for December with a robin, probably using watercolor or gouache to get those soft, muted tones. I’m really struck by the robin itself—perched on a branch dusted with frost. You can feel the chill in the air, right? It's like he’s trying to capture a fleeting moment, a breath of winter air. I wonder, what was van Hoytema thinking as he painted those delicate branches and the bird's bright orange breast? The painting feels gentle, as if he was whispering to the viewer to pause. Looking at the image, I wonder if he knew the paintings of someone like Abbott Handerson Thayer, another artist who was fascinated by birds. All artists are in dialogue with each other, whether they know it or not. Each brushstroke connects them across time.