Porträt zweier kleiner Jungen_ einer auf einem Stuhl sitzend, ein Buch in der Hand, der andere links von ihm 

Philipp Winterwerb made this drawing of two young boys, one seated with a book, in the mid-19th century. It shows an interest in children that reflects changing attitudes at the time. The image is interesting for what it tells us about the rising importance of education and childhood, particularly for the middle classes in Germany. We can see the accoutrements of learning in the book and the chair. The boys’ clothes are also very telling. They are dressed in a way that emphasizes respectability and upward mobility. A social historian might consider the role of institutions like schools and museums in shaping these values. Were the boys being taught to see themselves as future leaders or professionals? To understand Winterwerb’s drawing more fully, one might look into the history of education in Germany, the rise of the middle class, and the changing image of childhood in art and literature.