Kalenderblad maart met schaap en lammeren 1903

This calendar for March, with sheep and lambs, was designed by Theo van Hoytema. Imagine him, back then, teasing out these soft shapes of lambs, maybe with lithographic crayon, building up the image stroke by stroke. I feel the tenderness in the work, the way the sheep protectively curls around its young. Hoytema’s mark-making is gentle, a world away from our loud, brash times. It's like he’s whispering secrets about the start of spring. Look at the palette – earthy browns and soft greens. The colors create a sense of warmth. The daisies are carefully arranged. There is also a vase of flowers that I’m guessing are pussy willows and daffodils. The composition feels both decorative and deeply personal. The artist must have loved nature, finding beauty in the everyday scenes around him. Today, we all stand on the shoulders of artists like Hoytema. They remind us to slow down and find joy in the small things.