Kalender 1917 before 1917

Editor: Here we have "Kalender 1917," a poster, a print, by Simon Moulijn, created before 1917. It's an Art Nouveau calendar. I'm struck by the subtle color palette, and how the geometric patterns and stylized landscape give it such a distinctive vintage feel. How do you interpret the meaning embedded within this seemingly simple calendar? Curator: That “vintage feel,” as you call it, is crucial. Consider 1917. This wasn’t just any year, but the third year of World War I. A calendar, a tool for organizing and looking to the future, produced during a time of immense global upheaval. Doesn’t that present a rather sharp juxtaposition? How do you think the citizens might have interpreted this "landscape" or even this "geometric" structure that provided some sense and order in a world spiraling into chaos? Editor: That's a great point! I hadn't considered the historical context quite so directly. The war would definitely influence its meaning. It’s almost like the artist is offering a quiet space of reflection amid the turmoil. Is it a kind of propaganda promoting order through graphic design, or resistance against an unmanageable and destructive moment in human history? Curator: Precisely! The Art Nouveau style itself, with its emphasis on craftsmanship and beauty, could be seen as a quiet rebellion against the mass destruction and industrialization of warfare. The “vertical pattern” also speaks volumes: look how nature’s patterns repeat themselves. Also, the name "De Usel", the name of the publisher who commissioned the poster, clearly communicates their business and services. How can the concept of "calendar," of time that goes by, also be intertwined with commercial advertisement and, arguably, social message? Editor: That connection makes perfect sense. I’m starting to see how this calendar, as an ostensibly innocuous object, actually layers multiple dimensions of meaning reflecting the anxieties and aspirations of its time. Thanks! Curator: And by seeing these commercial artworks in such ways, we recognize how they became objects capable of reflecting culture and resistance. Thank you.