Het kinderspel, behaagt ons wel, / Maar bij het spelen, Voegt nooit krakeelen 1848 - 1881

This print, titled "Het kinderspel, behaagt ons wel", which translates to "Children's games, please us well," was created by Lutkie & Cranenburg. It's an intriguing example of how images, even those seemingly lighthearted, are products of their time. The printmaking process itself – likely etching or engraving, given the fine lines – speaks to a pre-industrial mode of image production. Each print would have required skilled labor, from the initial design to the careful transfer onto paper. The hand-coloring adds another layer of craft, albeit a potentially more repetitive task. Looking at the scenes depicted, we see children engaged in various forms of play. The presence of these images suggests a growing awareness of childhood as a distinct phase of life, yet the very act of printing and distributing such an image points towards a burgeoning market economy, where leisure and entertainment are commodified. So, while the image celebrates the innocence of play, it's also embedded in the social and economic realities of its time, reminding us that even the simplest image carries complex meanings related to labor, production, and consumption.