Kinderen! kiest gy 't militaire leven, / Hier kunt gy uwe keus genoegen geven 1836 - 1849

Editor: So, this lithograph, “Kinderen! Kiest gy 't militaire leven, / Hier kunt gy uwe keus genoegen geven" made by D. Lijsen sometime between 1836 and 1849… it’s a print of soldiers, seemingly aimed at children, and something about the rather simple application of colour gives it an instructional feel. What strikes you most about it? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the methods of its production and dissemination. Lithography allowed for relatively inexpensive reproduction. Think about the intended audience: children. And consider the societal context. The Netherlands had recently been part of the Napoleonic Empire and then the Kingdom of the Netherlands. What impact did militarization have on Dutch society and popular imagination during that period? How were military professions depicted? Editor: So, the print isn't just the final image, but a product of social and economic forces that enabled it, and which it in turn reinforced? How does this all connect with its child audience? Curator: Exactly. It becomes fascinating when you examine the role of children as consumers of these images. What are the labor practices involved? Consider who printed it, who sold it. What sort of workshop environment was it manufactured in? Moreover, we should also question how the material simplicity of the print influenced the perception of military life in those formative years. Do you think the simple execution affected the popularity or reception of this print? Editor: I never thought about it like that, considering it a physical object, made through labor, as part of the business and ideology. Now, the relatively simple process, use of color, and child audience speaks much louder. Curator: Right, and remembering those aspects challenges the distinction between mere 'illustration' and capital 'A' art, prompting questions about craft and labor itself. Hopefully it gives you another thing to look for when examining artwork in the future!