Les Petits Buveurs de Lait (The Little Milk Drinkers) 1740 - 1756

This is a print called "Les Petits Buveurs de Lait" or "The Little Milk Drinkers," made by an anonymous artist. Reflecting on the social history of the print, we might ask, why milk? In eighteenth-century Europe, milk was not only sustenance, but also a symbol of purity, innocence, and even wealth, given its life-sustaining properties and associations with rural life. The image of children sharing milk evokes a sense of shared humanity, cutting across social strata. The children's disheveled clothing hints at a life of hardship, challenging idealized notions of childhood innocence. The print invites us to consider the intersections of class, age, and representation in the visual arts. What does it mean to depict children in states of both vulnerability and resilience? The print avoids sentimentalizing poverty, instead offering a glimpse into the everyday realities of children who, despite their circumstances, find moments of connection and nourishment.