Kalenderblad maart met schaap en lammeren 1903

Theo van Hoytema's "Kalenderblad maart met schaap en lammeren" is an ornate little calendar made in the style of a print; it looks like it was made with soft earth-tone inks. It’s like a page torn from a book of hours, all about process, thought, and consideration. There's something humble and wholesome in the texture, color, and surface of this piece that makes it special. The daisies and sheep have been rendered with layers of fine strokes, and if you look closely, you can see the ways that Hoytema built up the image with subtle variations. It looks like he may have used a lithographic crayon for the linework, but it's hard to say! It's just very tactile and intimate. This little drawing resonates with a sense of care and the attention to detail that can turn something mundane into something profound. There’s a lot in common between this calendar and the work of Walter Crane, who was a celebrated children's book illustrator at the time. I feel as if art is like one long, meandering conversation.