Op een gegeven teeken vloog de heele troep naar boven 1892

Theo van Hoytema created this lithograph, “Op een gegeven teeken vloog de heele troep naar boven”, or “At a given sign, the whole troop flew upwards”, around the turn of the 20th century in the Netherlands. Hoytema, whose work often featured stylized images of birds, came of age during a time of rapid social and political change. As industrialization progressed, artists grappled with questions of national identity and the relationship between humanity and nature. This print might be seen in light of these themes. The flock of birds taking flight evokes ideas of freedom, escape, or perhaps even revolution. However, the inclusion of a horse among the birds offers a somewhat surreal twist that hints at the breakdown of natural order. The landscape below is quaint. We get a sense of nostalgia for a pre-industrial world. The text accompanying the image suggests a moment of collective action or transformation. What sign was given? And what does it mean for this troop to fly upward? Perhaps Hoytema asks us to consider the tension between individual agency and collective identity.