Kalenderblad voor maart 1896 1895

Theo Nieuwenhuis created this calendar page for March 1896 using a color woodcut. This piece emerges from the cultural ferment of the Netherlands at the end of the 19th century. Here we see a typical example of the Art Nouveau or Jugendstil style, which was fashionable across Europe. But the style was never just about aesthetic design. Look at the image and how it creates meaning through visual codes. The sinuous, decorative lines, and the fusion of natural and artificial forms, reflected a utopian desire to transform everyday life. It was part of a broader Arts and Crafts movement that sought to transcend the alienation of industrial capitalism by integrating art and labor. To understand this calendar better, one could look at design journals from the period, records of craft guilds, and exhibition catalogs. These sources reveal the hopes and dreams invested in art as a force for social change.