Kinders hier hebt gy tot u playsier / Van Jan en Lijs op 't ys vol zwier 1787 - 1822

Curator: What a delightful print! This is "Kinders hier hebt gy tot u playsier / Van Jan en Lijs op 't ys vol zwier," made sometime between 1787 and 1822 by Jan Hendrik de Lange. It’s an engraving, currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first thought is, “What a fascinating storybook!” It has such a comic-strip feel, with each frame hinting at some narrative—lots of small dramas and daily life depicted in this old engraving style. It reminds me a bit of Ukiyo-e with that attention to everyday life. Curator: Indeed. These small scenes offer glimpses into the social activities and labor of the time, mostly focusing on daily activities, like fishing, working and also couples in conversation. I can immediately spot all sort of little scenarios playing out; perhaps each one an observation of social relations in the Dutch Republic. Editor: The consistent use of winter scenes with skating figures could have many layers of interpretation; skating perhaps symbolizes something other than a mere children's game—like fragility, the unpredictable nature of fortune. Curator: An interesting point! These engravings served not only as entertainment but likely as moral lessons—depicting ideals and behaviors relevant to children and the communities in which they lived. These visuals provided readily available frameworks for perceiving Dutch values in day-to-day life. Editor: I find that really striking, and thinking more about it: water could even be understood as a life-sustaining, elemental presence or—because ice implies potential falls—a constant danger of change in an increasingly unstable Dutch society. These themes play out across many tiny narratives in just one print! Curator: Seeing how a simple engraving reflects the intricate balance of social and emotional symbolism has opened my eyes further! Thank you! Editor: For me as well! I’ll look at 18th and 19th century Dutch genre painting from an angle after having investigated this print.