Kalenderblad mei met vogel tussen bloesem 1901

This is Theo van Hoytema’s "Kalenderblad mei met vogel tussen bloesem", or Calendar page for May with bird among blossom. I’m not sure what it’s made of, but I love the way it feels so painstakingly hand-rendered. It’s like seeing someone think. The muted greens and soft pinks feel like the quiet optimism of spring, you know, that moment when everything is just waking up. And the lines are so delicate, especially in the flowers and the bird's nest. Each little mark seems to have been placed with intention. It reminds me a little of Japanese prints, where the texture and the surface of the paper become part of the image itself. Look at the way the blossoms frame the bird's nest. It's almost as if the calendar is inviting us to consider our place in nature, the rhythm of the seasons, and the quiet beauty of everyday life. You can see some of that influence in the work of someone like William Morris, who also combined nature, decoration, and a deep respect for craft. I love the way it just embraces ambiguity. There’s no one way to see it.