Kalenderblad mei met twee duiven 1905

This is Theo van Hoytema’s ‘Kalenderblad mei met twee duiven’, or Calendar page May with two doves, made with some kind of print technique, here at the Rijksmuseum. It's an image that feels precise, but loose. I really like the way he’s handled the feathers of the doves; they're kind of scrubby, and not too laboured. It’s like he's trying to get to the essence of a bird, not necessarily a realistic rendering of it. The background is an interesting mix of detailed foliage and abstract patterns, which flattens the space. There is this lovely contrast between the naturalistic doves and the stylised vegetation that surrounds them. It reminds me a bit of Odilon Redon, who also played with dreamlike imagery and symbolism. Both artists share a sensitivity to the beauty and mystery of the everyday, inviting us to pause and appreciate the world. Art is like a long conversation over time.