Perten en grappen der jongheid / Espiegleries de la jeunesse 1866 - 1902

Franciscus Antonius Beersmans created this lithograph, “Perten en grappen der jongheid / Espiegleries de la jeunesse”, without a specified date. The title translates to "Mischief and jokes of youth" in both Dutch and French, reflecting Belgium's bi-lingual culture. This sheet, a series of vignettes depicting childhood games and playful interactions, provides insight into 19th-century Belgian social life. Through visual cues like clothing, setting and activities, Beersmans presents childhood as a distinct phase of life. How did the emerging concept of childhood relate to the socio-economic changes in 19th century Belgium? The scenes suggest a culture valuing community, play, and learning. The institutional history of education in Belgium, its expansion and standardization, would be a fruitful avenue for further research. Considering Beersmans’s work, we must ask: how did art both reflect and shape the evolving understanding of childhood within this society? Historians use sources from the time such as educational records, children’s literature, and family correspondence, to explore these questions.