Kalenderblad april met aronskelken before 1905

This calendar page for April, with its calla lilies, was made by Anna Sipkema sometime around the turn of the last century. You can almost see her mind at work here, in the way she fearlessly combines grey, green, white and red, colors that vibrate against each other. I wonder, when she was making this, did she think about the fact that she was creating a piece of art that would also serve a practical purpose? Maybe that tension – between decoration and utility – is part of what makes this calendar so appealing. Look at the way Sipkema uses line to create depth and movement, to show the unfolding of the flowers and winding of the stems. The white of the lilies really pops, doesn’t it? It's a move that reminds me of Édouard Manet, who used white to give his figures a sense of presence and vitality. Ultimately, this calendar page is a testament to the idea that art can be found in the most unexpected places.