Jan "de zot" 1876 - 1898

Albert Quantin created this lithograph titled "Jan 'de zot'" around the turn of the century. Quantin lived through a period of significant social and political change in France, including the Franco-Prussian War and the rise of the Third Republic. Here we see a series of vignettes depicting a boy and his "foolish" or whimsical activities. We see him daydreaming, searching for treasure, and imagining himself in different roles, from a soldier to a sailor. The images evoke childhood as a time of fantasy, freedom, and exploration, yet it is interesting to note that these are all quite gendered pursuits. It speaks to how the future for boys and girls was already imagined and stratified. These images invite us to reflect on our own childhoods and the ways in which our imaginations were shaped by our identities and social circumstances. It causes one to pause and consider, in what ways did society's expectations guide us?