Zittende jongen met een slapend kind op schoot c. 1884 - 1887

Willem Witsen made this drawing, titled 'Seated boy with a sleeping child in his lap,' using graphite on paper. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a growing interest in depicting everyday life and the domestic sphere. Witsen, a contemporary of the Impressionists, captures a tender moment between two children, blurring the lines of caregiving and childhood. The older child cradles the younger, asleep in their lap, perhaps reflecting the socio-economic realities of the time, where children often shared responsibilities. The emotional weight of the drawing lies in its quiet observation and the intimacy it conveys. The artist’s hand renders the figures with sensitivity, emphasizing the vulnerability and innocence of childhood. Witsen avoids idealizing childhood, instead presenting it as a moment of tenderness, shaped by social circumstances.