Rustende jongen en een meisje met kruik op een helling 1868 - 1887

This sketch by Jan Willem van Borselen captures a resting boy and a girl with a jug on a slope. Van Borselen lived and worked during a time of significant social change in the Netherlands, with industrialization altering rural life. In this work, the figures of the children offer a glimpse into the lives of the rural working class. The girl standing, clutching what appears to be a water jug, while the boy sits, perhaps her brother, resting. The artist seems to depict a moment of respite amid labor. What does it mean to think about labor as it relates to childhood? How does our understanding change when we consider the roles of young girls versus boys? The simple sketch invites us to consider the artist's perspective on these figures and, perhaps, his commentary on the changing social landscape. It invites reflection on how labor and leisure are distributed along lines of gender and class.