Huilende kinderen before 1874

This undated, anonymous print presents a series of portraits of children expressing distress. The composition is stark: six small, circular vignettes are neatly arranged on the right-hand page of an open book, their subjects rendered in monochrome. The texture of the print itself, with its visible grain, creates a sense of immediacy, as if capturing fleeting moments of raw emotion. The artist's choice to isolate each child's expression within a contained form invites a structural analysis. Each portrait is a sign, a representation of suffering that is both universal and deeply personal. The repetitive format encourages a semiotic reading where differences in facial expression and gesture can be interpreted as variations on a theme of discomfort. The formal qualities of the print—its composition, texture, and stark contrasts—challenge any fixed notion of childhood innocence, inviting a reconsideration of how we categorize and understand emotional expression. By isolating and framing these expressions, the artist prompts us to question the codes and conventions that shape our perceptions.