Kindervreugd / of plaatjes voor kleine teekenaars en prentevriendjes; door R. G. Rijkens 1827

This hand-colored print, titled "Kindervreugd," was created in 1827 by Jan Oomkens, a printer and bookseller in Groningen. The series of images, paired with simple verses, was intended for young children to learn how to draw. Reflecting the social values of the time, the print offers a glimpse into the prevailing attitudes toward childhood, education, and domestic life in the Netherlands. Each scene subtly reinforces the importance of family, hard work, and an appreciation for the natural world, with vignettes depicting children in school, tradesmen at work, and animals in their habitats. Note the absence of any reference to the colonies or enslaved people. The image of the strong lion, might conjure a nationalistic pride. Yet it cannot erase the immense human suffering caused by the Netherlands' colonial ambitions. "Kindervreugd" thus invites us to consider what is present, and what is conspicuously absent, from this seemingly innocent depiction of childhood. What are the stories we tell our children, and what do those stories conceal?