Een boerendorp 1875 - 1903

Jan de Haan’s “A Farming Village” presents us with a charming, though fragmented, vision of rural life, ready to be cut out and assembled. The print offers us a glimpse into the cultural values attached to rural life and childhood. Produced as part of a series of Dutch children’s prints, it reflects a time when education and entertainment were becoming increasingly intertwined. Note how the artist presents an idealized version of the countryside, absent of the often harsh realities of agricultural labor. The picturesque buildings, complete with farm animals, evoke a sense of pastoral tranquility, something that was frequently romanticized during a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Yet, the act of cutting and assembling these images invites children to actively engage with and construct their own narratives of the countryside. This interactive element acknowledges the child as an agent in shaping their understanding of the world. In doing so, De Haan offers a space where the sentimental and the educational intersect.