Artist · 10 prints
Theo van Hoytema Prints
About Theo van Hoytema
Theo van Hoytema (1863–1917) was a Dutch lithographer, illustrator and graphic designer, celebrated in his own time for his picture books and calendars. He worked in lithography, a printing method in which the artist draws on stone and which allows finer detail than linocut, and he became interested in it around 1889 to 1890.
Birds were Theo van Hoytema's main subject. His picture book Hoe de vogels aan een koning kwamen (How the Birds Got a King, 1891), based on a medieval tale, was followed by Twee hanen (Two Roosters, 1898), after a story by Hans Christian Andersen, and Vogelvreugd (Bird Joy, 1904). From 1902 until his death in 1917 he designed yearly calendars with a bird or other animal for each month, and these are the works that made him famous. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam holds his prints.
Theo van Hoytema prints: reproductions of the Art Nouveau bird lithographs Theo van Hoytema made in the Netherlands in the 1890s and 1900s. Works here include Christmas Night (Kerstnacht) (1894), Two White Turkeys with Holly Branches in the Snow (1897), Hooded Crow on a Branch, Two Great Egrets and Peacock.
This selection concentrates on birds: crows, owls, storks, egrets, lapwings, pheasants, a robin and a peacock, many shown in winter or at night. The designs use flat areas of colour, strong outlines and plenty of empty space, with a restraint that recalls Japanese prints.
The calm, muted palettes suit bedrooms, studies, hallways and living rooms, and the winter scenes work well hung for the holiday season. All prints are museum-quality reproductions, available unframed or framed with low-glare acrylic glazing, with free shipping and import duties covered.
