Het kaartenhuis / Bouwprent 1875 - 1903

This print, "Het kaartenhuis / Bouwprent," was created by Jan de Haan. A cluster of figures—adults and children—are gathered around a table. Their collective gaze is focused on a miniature house at the table's center. The scene is painted in a muted palette, dominated by earthy browns and subdued greens, which gives the artwork a nostalgic feel. The composition’s structure reveals a hierarchy of attention. The house serves as the focal point, a semiotic device that suggests themes of domesticity and family unity. The architectural model, a “bouwprent” or building print, is not just a toy, but an emblem of constructed realities, both physical and social. The act of building together can be read as a metaphor for constructing shared values and familial bonds. Note the almost clockwork-like arrangement of the scene and how the piece engages with broader themes of societal structures and the roles we play within them.