Klein-moedertje c. 1902

This print by Pellerin & Cie. seems to document the daily life of a young child. I imagine the artist watching this girl, and thinking about how to capture the different aspects of her games. There is a kind of intimate knowledge being captured here: the material of play. She seems to be jumping rope. In other moments, she is tending to her dolls. The artist’s hand renders the girl’s tenderness visible. There’s something really incredible about the range of movement, from quiet to exuberant. I wonder about the other artists who saw this image in the past, and the new ideas it sparked in their own work? When we look at this print, we’re not just seeing a picture of a girl playing, but also participating in a conversation across time. These pictures offer multiple points of view, and invite different interpretations, depending on who is looking.