Kind deelt geheimen met moeder 1840

Paul Gavarni made this print, “Kind deelt geheimen met moeder” or “Child Sharing Secrets with Mother,” at an unknown date. The location of this artwork in the Rijksmuseum situates it within a specific Western European cultural and institutional context. It depicts a child whispering into the ear of his mother, creating a sense of intimacy and intrigue. The image creates meaning through visual codes of domesticity, with the mother seated in a high backed chair and the child holding a tray, possibly with her morning coffee. The print seems to reflect on the changing social structures of 19th-century France. Further research into the artist's biography, the cultural context of 19th-century France, and the history of the Rijksmuseum would provide a deeper understanding of this artwork. Art is contingent on its social and institutional context and we as historians can decode that.