Children Knock c. 19th century

Curator: This is Joseph Andrews's etching, "Children Knock," now residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It’s strangely unsettling, isn’t it? Like a half-remembered fairytale with those looming birds. Curator: The cross-hatching really defines the textures, the wood of the door and the children’s clothes. Andrews was, after all, a notable engraver. Editor: Those barefoot children holding what looks like a book. What’s behind that door? Knowledge? Escape? Curator: Perhaps. Andrews, working in the 19th century, was likely influenced by the social realities of his time and the rise of literacy. Editor: So, the material conditions of Victorian England find their way into this dreamlike image... Curator: Precisely. It all speaks to shifting access and ideas about childhood. Editor: It makes you wonder about the countless unseen hands, the labor, involved in its production. A thought-provoking piece. Curator: Indeed. It reveals so much when we consider the processes behind it.