Voor jongens en meisjes 1875 - 1903

This is a page from a children's book by Jan de Haan, featuring four vignettes of youthful activities. Note the second image, where one child wields a grotesque mask. This recalls primitive ritualistic performances intended to ward off evil spirits or embody the power of animals and ancestors. Masks serve as potent intermediaries between the human and spiritual realms, used in ceremonies to evoke a sense of awe and mystery. Centuries later, we see echoes of this instinct in carnivals and festivals, where masks offer a temporary escape from identity and social norms. The mask's grin is a symbol of transformation and liberation. We also observe how childhood itself becomes a canvas for cultural memory and subconscious processes. The primal impulse behind these images is an acknowledgment of the emotional and psychological forces that engage us on a profound, subconscious level. These motifs reappear and transform, reminding us of the cyclical progression of symbols throughout history.