Kalenderblad augustus met witte pauw 1909

This calendar for August, featuring a white peacock, was made by Theo van Hoytema. I'm thinking about the artist making this. The subtle tonal variations and the fine lines suggest it might be a lithograph. The peacock is so delicate, almost ghostly against a darker background. It feels like he’s conjuring this image from his imagination. The calendar format itself is so rigid and boxy, yet it's juxtaposed with the flowing lines of the Art Nouveau peacock design around the border. I wonder if the artist felt the tension between these formal constraints and his desire for organic form. We’re always inspired by what’s come before, grappling with it, critiquing it, and pushing beyond it. The dialogue continues, and artists are forever in conversation. The ambiguity inherent in painting allows for multiple readings, and artists like Hoytema open up a space for imagination and wonder.