Arlequin veegt de billen van zijn kind schoon 1720 - 1728

This print depicts two Commedia dell'Arte characters; Arlequin is cleaning his child, while Pierrot is warming pap over a fire. The anonymous print was most likely made in the Netherlands, a region where theatrical characters were particularly popular. In the social context of the early modern period, prints such as this circulated widely, bringing theatrical characters into everyday life. It suggests an emergent bourgeois audience eager to engage with popular culture. Through such accessible imagery, we can consider the complex social dynamics of the time; it reveals the growing importance of popular entertainment and domestic scenes. By researching theatre history, print culture, and social history archives, we can better understand the significance of this seemingly simple print.