Beschouw hier met opregte vreugd, / De spelen eener blijde jeugd, / Ook moet gij mooi de versjes lezen, / Dat zal voor u genoeglijk wezen 1827 - 1894

Editor: This engraving, "Beschouw hier met opregte vreugd..." or "Behold Here with Sincere Joy..." is housed at the Rijksmuseum and dates to the 19th century. It shows a series of vignettes of children playing, reminiscent of a comic strip. The scenes feel both innocent and somewhat didactic. What historical and cultural contexts illuminate this print? Curator: The division into squares mimics a moralizing trend in prints made for children, but it goes beyond mere entertainment. Notice the textual components below each square. These aren't just captions; they operate almost as a coded script, dictating appropriate behaviour and values for young viewers in that time. It subtly promoted the bourgeoise's didactic sensibility during the Dutch Golden Age. Consider also the public role these images would have had. Where would such an image been displayed and encountered? Editor: Perhaps in schools or even at home to provide a guide for children, influencing how children should act during playtime. Did these scenes reflect reality? Curator: Not entirely, as there's idealisation at play. These are 'exemplary' games – designed to mould children into ideal citizens, preparing them for adult roles within the emerging bourgeois society of the era. Genre paintings played a similar role but lacked this medium's didactic texts. The prints became the visual aid that was lacking to create what that specific group viewed to be 'moral.' Editor: So it's more than just childhood games; it's a lesson on social conduct. I never considered children’s play as such a structured, directed aspect of culture. Curator: Exactly. Art doesn’t merely mirror society but actively helps shape it. Even games of children are loaded with socio-cultural lessons.