Kalenderblad juni met jonge vogels 1901

Theo van Hoytema made this calendar page for June with young birds, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. It's a print, so that means a matrix, a plate, something he had to ink and wipe and run through a press. I love the pale palette and the delicate lines used to depict the hungry baby birds and the insects along the border. I can imagine him, van Hoytema, looking closely at these creatures, trying to capture their essence with his tools, but also trying to create a design, a pleasing composition. Was he thinking about the relationship between art and nature, like Ruskin? Or maybe he was just trying to make a beautiful and useful object? I sympathize with that urge. It reminds me that art-making can be about noticing the small things, the overlooked details of the world around us, and giving them our attention. It reminds me of the endless conversation between artists. It's like he's whispering, "Hey, look at this!" And then we look, and we see something new.