Kalenderblad voor mei 1910 met een wit konijn met vier jongen 1909

Theo van Hoytema made this calendar page for May 1910 with lithography. Look how the white rabbit and her four babies emerge from the paper, they're almost like a dream. I find the layered application of color so compelling, it’s more than just depiction, it’s like an atmosphere. The soft, gentle strokes that build the rabbit's fur invite a real sense of touch. It is so gentle and tender, and full of close looking. Notice the contrast between the detailed rendering of the rabbits and the more stylized flowers. It's like van Hoytema is playing with different modes of seeing, different ways of relating to the world around him. The piece recalls some of the imagery of Walter Crane, and you see a similar interest in the relationship between naturalism and pattern making. Ultimately, this calendar page is an invitation to slow down, to appreciate the small beauties of the everyday, and to recognize the many ways of seeing and experiencing the world.