Als deze op uw vlieger staan; / Zal hij goed in de hoogte gaan 1836 - 1849

This print, titled "Als deze op uw vlieger staan; / Zal hij goed in de hoogte gaan", was made by D. Lijsen in Amsterdam. The Dutch title translates to: If these are on your kite; / It will go well in the height. Published without a date, the image is split into two distinct sections: at the top we see images of the sun, moon and stars. Below these celestial bodies, the artist has included a procession of five figures, each elaborately costumed. The figures' clothes are coloured in red, white and blue, which are, perhaps tellingly, the colours of the Dutch flag. At the time this print was made, Dutch artists often took on commercial work to supplement their income. Although the images in this print have symbolic meaning, its primary purpose was to aid children with kite design. To learn more about the Dutch visual arts, visit a library specializing in art history. A detailed understanding of the period can help reveal how the artwork functions within a specific institutional and social context.