Water 1715 - 1786

"Water" is an 18th-century engraving by Claude Augustin Duflos le Jeune. It depicts three cherubic children, seemingly engaged in the innocent act of fishing. But, let’s consider the historical context: in 18th-century France, images of childhood were often laden with moralizing messages. Here, the artist uses the guise of children playing to explore deeper societal issues. The verses beneath the image tell us: appearances can be deceiving, like a baited hook or a woman's charms. Even wisdom can be misled. What does it mean to use children to convey such ideas? Are they stand-ins for innocence lost or corrupted by society? Duflos asks us to consider the emotional weight of appearances. The image suggests a world where naivety is both vulnerable and potentially dangerous. Consider how the children are presented: are they truly innocent, or are they actors in a larger drama of deception? "Water" invites us to reflect on the complexities of human nature and the subtle ways in which we are all caught in society's nets.