Kinderen aan de waterkant 1848

Dirk Jurriaan Sluyter created this print, "Kinderen aan de waterkant," which translates to "Children on the Waterfront," using etching techniques. Sluyter lived and worked during a time when the prevailing societal norms emphasized the innocence and purity of childhood, particularly for girls. Within the confined roles assigned to women in the 19th century, the imagery of young girls in idyllic settings reinforced the notion of women as innocent and pure. Look at the girls in the image, their bare feet, their simple dresses. The children are not adorned, which contrasts with the heavy garments that were fashionable for adult women. Consider also the presence of the waterfowl. The ducklings might serve as a metaphor for the girls themselves, nurtured and protected in a safe, natural environment. These ducks reinforce the sentimental, moralizing values of domesticity and nature. This idyllic scene is charged with the weight of cultural expectations.