Ziet in deez kind'ren haar bedrijven / De spiegel van de uwe. o jeugd! / Leer ook daar uit op 't spoor der Deugd, / By alles wat gy doet, te blijven 1862 - 1905

Editor: This print, dating from between 1862 and 1905, is by Johannis Waleson. Its title, "Ziet in deez kind'ren haar bedrijven / De spiegel van de uwe. o jeugd! / Leer ook daar uit op 't spoor der Deugd, / By alles wat gy doet, te blijven", translates to something like "See in these children their actions, the mirror of your own. O youth! Learn also there on the path of virtue, in all that you do, to remain". It seems like a moralistic little storyboard...what do you see in it? Curator: It feels like a page torn from a cautionary tale, doesn't it? The images, almost childlike in their simplicity, narrate potential pitfalls and moral lessons. Think about the Dutch Golden Age, even though this is a later work. There was a powerful emphasis on personal responsibility and virtue. Each little scene is a microcosm, prompting reflection: where do you see yourself in these children's actions? It's almost…confrontational. Editor: Confrontational, how so? Curator: The mirror metaphor, right? It's suggesting a direct correlation between their youthful indiscretions – rendered with charming awkwardness – and our own potential moral failings. It’s playful, almost like a game, but underneath, it is really trying to prod your conscience, what virtues could one learn from seeing themselves reflected? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way, as something intentionally provocative. I was stuck on the didactic nature of it all. It does make me reconsider how to interpret each frame. Curator: Exactly! It's a conversation starter, across time. Didactic, sure, but with an invitation to introspection. Perhaps even a gentle nudge toward self-improvement. I like to think the artist is smiling wryly somewhere.