Kinderen voor een kijkkast Possibly 1787

This aquatint by John Young captures a scene of children captivated by a peep show. The peep show, a box with lenses allowing viewers to see images inside, has been a source of wonder for centuries. The showman, a key figure, not only presents the spectacle, but also evokes the archetype of the magician or sage, a keeper of hidden knowledge. This figure finds echoes in earlier alchemists and traveling scholars, who carried with them not only entertainment, but also a glimpse into the wider world. Consider the symbolic resonance of the box itself. It represents a portal, a threshold between the mundane and the magical, akin to the proscenium of a stage. It reminds me of how, in Byzantine icons, the depiction of a window invites the divine to break through into the earthly realm. Like a serpent biting its own tail, the peep show—and its power to enchant—recycles through history, resurfacing in new forms.