Kalenderblad mei met zilverfraisanten 1904

This is Theo van Hoytema's "Kalenderblad mei met zilverfraisanten", made with lithography at an unknown date. The piece depicts a calendar sheet for the month of May, with a decorative image of silver pheasants perched beneath yellow leaves. I can almost feel the artist at work. The initial marks, the addition of colour, and the gradual emergence of the pheasants and foliage. Looking at those pheasants – their red heads, black necks, and fluffy white feathers – I wonder what Van Hoytema was thinking. Was he simply trying to capture their physical form, or was he also trying to convey something about their essence? Maybe he felt a kinship with these beautiful birds. And the leaves are amazing, too, aren’t they? The choice to portray them yellow is so unexpected. Ultimately, this calendar sheet is a reminder of the artist's ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas, inspiring creativity across time.