Kalenderblad september met Muskuseend 1915

Theo van Hoytema created this calendar sheet for September with Muscovy ducks, in lithograph, at an unknown date. The print presents a structured composition, dividing the pictorial and the functional. The upper and lower sections each depict ducks in a natural setting, rendered with delicate lines and soft green hues, creating a peaceful, pastoral mood. Sandwiched in between is a calendar grid, ornamented with stylized duck motifs and botanical elements, integrating the natural with the systematic. Hoytema employs a limited color palette, focusing on the interplay between line and form to define the ducks and their environment. This emphasis on structure and design is a hallmark of early graphic design. It highlights the shift towards functional aesthetics, where art serves a practical purpose without sacrificing visual appeal. The repetitive use of duck icons flattens the image, thus emphasizing the artificiality of representation. The print thus destabilizes the boundary between art and utility, questioning traditional hierarchies of artistic value.