Kinder-oefeningen / Récréations de la jeunesse 1800 - 1833

Philippus Jacobus Brepols created this print, "Kinder-oefeningen / Récréations de la jeunesse," using etching. The work likely dates to the early 19th century in the Netherlands. Here, a grid presents scenes of children's games and pastimes. It suggests a world of youthful innocence and carefree activity. The text in two languages, Dutch and French, underscores its appeal to a wide, cross-cultural audience. Prints like these reveal the rising importance of childhood in the 19th century, a time when new ideas about education and child development were emerging. It served as a moralizing tool. By studying such prints in the context of period literature, educational pamphlets, and children's books, we can appreciate how images contributed to shaping the modern concept of childhood and the social norms attached to it.