Een vrouw en een jongen met een vlieger c. 1800 - 1850

Totoya Hokkei made this woodblock print, "A Woman and a Boy with a Kite", sometime in the early 19th century. Hokkei was a student of the famous Katsushika Hokusai, working in Japan during the Edo period, a time marked by economic growth and strict social order. Here we see a woman and a boy, likely a mother and son, out together. The woman, adorned in traditional dress, carries something on her back, perhaps another child. Next to her, a young boy struggles to carry a kite, its large size suggesting a world of play and imagination, yet also hinting at the burdens placed on children. What does it mean to depict a woman in public, balancing her role as a mother with the expectations of society? Hokkei captures a tender moment, a brief glimpse into their lives, inviting us to reflect on the quiet strength and resilience of women and children in a world shaped by tradition and change.