Moeder bezoekt haar dochter op de kostschool 1789

William Ward made this stipple engraving showing a mother visiting her daughter at boarding school. It presents us with an intimate scene of domesticity, yet it also speaks to the growing importance of institutions in shaping social life. Made in England, perhaps in the late 1790s or early 1800s, the image subtly comments on the social structures of its time. Boarding schools were becoming increasingly common for upper-class girls, offering a specialized form of education that emphasized decorum and refinement. The school here looks more like a grand house than an institution, which tells us a lot about how the wealthy liked to think of themselves. The mother's fashionable attire signals her social standing, while the children’s interactions hint at the emotional complexities of family life. As historians, we delve into archives, conduct detailed studies of costume, and read sociological texts to understand the world presented in this image. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.