Hoofd van een peuter, omhoog kijkend 1771

Carl Wilhelm Weisbrod made this drawing of a toddler’s head, looking upward, sometime in the 18th century. This seemingly simple sketch opens up a wider discourse on the relationship between childhood, class, and artistic representation during that period. Consider the art academies of the 1700s. In what ways did they reinforce class distinctions through the patronage system, as wealthy individuals commissioned portraits of their children? The elaborate hairstyles on the child suggest a family of means. How might this image reflect the social norms and power dynamics of its time, where childhood was often idealized as a symbol of innocence and potential, yet simultaneously shaped by the expectations of social class? Further research into the artist’s biography, as well as archival records of patronage networks, could shed more light on the social context of this piece.