Kalenderblad voor februari 1907 met spreeuwen 1906

Editor: Here we have Theo van Hoytema's "Kalenderblad voor februari 1907 met spreeuwen", made in 1906. It's a woodcut print on toned paper, and currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. There’s a quiet charm to this piece – the muted tones, the orderly calendar… What strikes you about it? Curator: You know, it whispers of a simpler time, doesn't it? Hoytema's calendar isn't just functional; it’s an invitation. An invitation to slow down, to observe, much like the starlings he so lovingly depicts. See how the Art Nouveau frame, with its stylized leaves, seems to cradle the scene? What do you make of the relationship between the natural and the functional here? Editor: Well, it feels like an attempt to bring nature, albeit a stylized version, into daily life. Like a little poem for each day. Curator: Exactly! And the starlings themselves... they're not just birds, are they? They’re symbolic messengers of February, their chirping almost echoing the verses inscribed on the print. Each detail contributes to a unique symbiosis of text, image and utility. How does this very unique kind of symbolism makes you feel about time itself? Editor: I guess it makes time seem more connected to the seasons, more organic. And it also speaks to me about seeing beauty in the everyday, in a common bird on a branch, even in marking off the days. Curator: A beautiful thought! I think that's where the magic of Hoytema lies. To take the mundane and elevate it to something... well, quietly profound. Editor: It’s true. I never thought I could get so much from a calendar page, of all things! I’ll be thinking of this little print differently from now on, for sure.