Kalenderblad september met bloemen before 1905

Anna Sipkema made this calendar page for September with flowers, though we don't know exactly when, using a printmaking process. Look at how the red, ochre, and green intertwine, creating a kind of floral embrace around the grid of dates. The thin, consistent lines suggest that the image was either printed or meticulously planned. You get the impression that Sipkema liked a sense of control over her materials and design. My eye is drawn to the way the flowers are stylized, but also how the stems and leaves grow around the central information. It's a constant push and pull between the organic and the structured, the decorative and the functional. It reminds me a bit of some of Hilma af Klint's botanical studies, a deep interest in natural processes, combined with a formal structure, although Sipkema is more interested in the decorative arts than esoteric exploration. And that's what art is, isn't it? An ongoing conversation!