Meisje met pop en twee jongens bij een boom c. 1900 - 1940

S. van Os made this drawing of a girl with a doll and two boys by a tree, using pen and ink. It captures a seemingly simple scene, but what does it tell us about the social codes of its time? Without a firm date, we can still infer much from the children’s clothing. The boys are dressed in short trousers and shirts, the girl in a patterned dress with a doll in her arms. These details point towards an era when childhood was increasingly seen as a distinct phase, separate from adulthood, particularly among the middle classes. A closer look at the landscape reveals buildings in the background, a rustic scene of rural life, perhaps a comment on the changing social landscape during a period of industrialization. The historian's role is to delve deeper, tracing the threads of social and institutional history to understand the image better. Researching the artist, the fashions of the time, and the societal values placed on children, could all reveal more about its cultural context. In doing so, we understand art not just as an isolated object, but as a mirror reflecting the world around it.