Kalenderblad september met boom en valk 1903

Theo van Hoytema made this calendar page for September with tree and falcon, likely as a print, sometime around the turn of the last century. The limited palette and somewhat grainy texture gives it a subdued, contemplative feel, like a memory fading at the edges. Look at how the composition is divided, landscape on top, calendar on the bottom, with decorative fronds weaving it all together. The tree dominates the landscape, solid and upright, a safe haven. But then there’s this bird – a falcon? – diving headfirst into the scene. Is it hunting, or just joyriding? Maybe it’s a little of both. I see a parallel between that bird and the way Hoytema combines image and text here. He’s not just giving us information. He’s inviting us to consider the cyclical nature of time. It reminds me a little of Odilon Redon, with that similar interest in dreamlike imagery. Both artists tap into something primal, emotional, and deeply human.