Spelende, kruipende en bukkende kinderen c. 1928

Otto Verhagen made this watercolor sketch of playing children in a location and time unknown to us. What might seem like a simple snapshot of everyday life opens up to us, as historians, when we consider it in the context of childhood and labor. The sketch shows children in various postures of play and observation, seemingly unsupervised and freely exploring their environment. But how typical was this kind of childhood, and for whom? The presence of an adult figure looming over them is a visual code that suggests this carefree scene might be juxtaposed with the realities of working-class families. Consider the period and region in which this was made. Was this a scene of privilege, or a reflection of changing attitudes towards child labor? Archives of social welfare organizations, school records, and family histories can help us understand the nuances of this seemingly simple image. Art history reminds us that images are never neutral, and that the circumstances of their creation shape how we understand them.