Kalenderblad juni met maki's 1916

Theo van Hoytema made this calendar page for June with makis, probably as a print, sometime around the turn of the last century. It’s all these little lines, hatched and cross-hatched, building up tone, and giving the animals their slightly worried expressions. You can see the process, the way one mark leads to another, building into a kind of funny, fuzzy image. I love the way Hoytema uses this kind of folksy technique, making a potentially scary animal look friendly and approachable. The texture is everything here, the way the pencil or pen creates this almost palpable sense of fur and feather. Look at the pair at the top, there’s almost a human quality to their pose, a kind of tenderness that’s really affecting. It reminds me a little of Redon, with his soft focus and dreamlike imagery, though Hoytema has a kind of directness that’s all his own. Ultimately this piece celebrates the art of making, the beauty of the imperfect, and the power of art to transform the way we see the world.