Dinerende kinderen 1879

Adolphe Lalauze made this print, "Dinerende kinderen," sometime between 1860 and 1900. It depicts two children, likely siblings, eating at a small table in an ornate room. Made in France, the image offers a glimpse into the domestic life of a bourgeois family during the late 19th century. The setting is a well-appointed room with decorative molding and a patterned floor, suggesting affluence. The children are neatly dressed, and the presence of cutlery on the table indicates a level of refinement and social status. Consider the implications of this scene. Who is missing? The parents. The servants. This absence speaks volumes about the social expectations of the time. The children are eating alone in what seems to be a staged environment. To truly understand this artwork, we need to examine its cultural context. What were the prevailing social norms and values? What was the role of children in bourgeois families? Archival sources such as family letters, etiquette manuals, and social histories would provide deeper insight into these questions.