Portret van een kleuter, zittend op een stoel 1860 - 1900

This photograph by A. Delamare & A. Raguet captures a child seated, an image laden with symbols of innocence and nascent potential. The chair itself, a common prop, signifies authority and stability, a structured world into which the child is being introduced. Consider the motif of the seated figure throughout art history: from ancient Egyptian pharaohs on their thrones to Renaissance portraits of dignitaries. The pose denotes power, knowledge, and a place within the social order. Yet, here, it’s a child, too young to fully grasp these concepts, presented on a miniature throne. This contrast reminds us how symbols evolve and transform. The child’s gaze, direct and guileless, evokes a powerful emotional response. In psychoanalytic terms, we might see this gaze as a mirror, reflecting our own lost innocence, arousing a bittersweet sense of nostalgia and the inexorable passage of time. The symbol is non-linear, a cyclical progression, and has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.