Twee voorstellingen van een ouder met twee kinderen 1777 - 1779

Pieter de Mare created this print, "Two Depictions of a Parent with Two Children," sometime before his death in 1796, using etching. This work is a double portrait reflecting 18th-century Dutch family life. The print presents two contrasting scenes: on the left, a mother cradles one child while another reaches upwards, possibly towards an unseen object of interest. On the right, a father holds a child with a toy, while another stands beside him. This juxtaposition highlights the different roles and interactions within the family structure of the time. The clothing, the setting, and the composition of the scenes all give insight into the social values of 18th-century Netherlands, emphasizing the importance of family and domestic life. These are values that were very much at the heart of the Dutch Republic. To delve deeper, consider looking into family portraits of the time. You can find some information in family records from that era. You can learn a lot about the social and economic conditions of the time by studying these.