Kinderspelen en bezigheden 1822 - 1849

This undated print by I.I. de Lanier, titled "Kinderspelen en bezigheden" and held at the Rijksmuseum, depicts children engaged in various games and activities. The image, produced in the Netherlands, offers a glimpse into the social and cultural life of children. The scenes, rendered with simple lines and colors, serve as visual codes that can teach us about the nature of childhood in its own time. Are these idealized images? Or, are they faithful representations of how children behaved? The Rijksmuseum itself is an institution, and its collection policies shape which aspects of Dutch life we see represented through art. By consulting historical records, we might learn more about the lives of Dutch children, the development of childhood as a social category, and the relationship between play and education. This work reminds us that the meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.