Zie hier veele kinderspelen / U op nieuw weêr mede deelen, / Vind daar in vermaak, o jeugd! / Meer nog in verstand en deugd 1806 - 1830

Curator: Right, let's talk about this print from the Rijksmuseum. It’s titled "Zie hier veele kinderspelen," which roughly translates to "Here see many children's games," by Johan Noman, created sometime between 1806 and 1830. What catches your eye first? Editor: All these tiny boxes! It's like a charming sampler of childhood joys and misadventures. There's a storybook quality to it, each panel brimming with innocent energy. It feels wonderfully quaint and a bit… moralizing, perhaps? Curator: Precisely! The format, with its neat grid of scenes, immediately suggests a structured approach to morality and instruction through observation. Note the precise, almost clinical, engraving style Noman employs. It’s deeply rooted in neoclassical aesthetics. The lines are so clean, and the compositions are simple yet deliberate. Editor: True, it is quite orderly. The composition almost echoes a game board itself, neatly partitioning childhood into digestible lessons. You see scenes with tops and kites. But I notice that each scene has an inscription; are these moral pronouncements or cautionary verses attached to these youthful pursuits? Curator: Indeed. They often offer a didactic commentary. Consider the use of printmaking itself—allowing mass production, ensuring the "lessons" reached as many young eyes and minds as possible. I also feel it carries hints of societal expectations towards children, and children's moral compass and education, as dictated through their chosen and enjoyed pastimes. Editor: I am still enchanted by the visual density of the scenes. Look at that top left; that child looks to be using a hoop and stick. While so innocent looking, this engraving technique gives it all a weight of history. It’s a window into a very specific worldview, and quite fascinating that something this intricate served an instructional purpose! Curator: It truly is. So, when we think of early 19th-century childhood, maybe Noman gives us a little key to it – a key that shows us just how play can mirror the values a culture hopes to instill. Editor: Definitely! This print gives food for thought, even in this digitized age of gaming and fleeting Tik-Tok moments. Seeing children absorbed in ancient games and pastimes, and reading verses is like uncovering time capsule!