Kalenderblad september met fazanten 1902

This is a calendar page for September with pheasants, made by Theo van Hoytema, a Dutch artist active at the turn of the 20th century. Van Hoytema was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement, whose practitioners questioned the division between art and industry. While he drew inspiration from nature, as seen in the rendering of birds and foliage, his images were carefully constructed and arranged. Notice the stylized rendering of the calendar grid, complete with decorative borders. The weekdays are abbreviated using a pseudo-medieval script, and the numbers are arranged within a rigid grid. In the Netherlands at this time, there was a vogue for art that would serve a social purpose. In contrast to fine art exhibited in elite museums and galleries, the calendar would be displayed in ordinary homes and workplaces. To understand the cultural work this image was intended to do, we might consult design journals and printed ephemera from the period. Through careful research, we can better appreciate the social and institutional context for works like this.