Kinderen spelen haasje-over 1770

"Kinderen spelen haasje-over", or "Children playing leapfrog", was etched by Augustin de Saint-Aubin in the 18th century. What strikes me about this piece is how it captures a very particular version of childhood, one that is gendered and classed. The boys, dressed in miniature versions of adult clothing, are performing masculinity through play. It's interesting to consider what childhood looked like for girls, or for children of the working class at this time. Were their lives filled with leisure? Saint-Aubin's etching invites us to consider how social structures shape even our most innocent moments. What does it mean to play leapfrog when the rules of the game are already set by the society in which you live? The image is charming, but also a reminder that childhood, like everything else, is always embedded in a specific historical and cultural context.