Zittend jongetje 1867 - 1903

This is Piet Meiners’ pencil drawing ‘Zittend Jongetje’ or ‘Sitting Boy’ at the Rijksmuseum. This evocative sketch provides a glimpse into late 19th-century Dutch society through the lens of childhood. Meiners, who was active in the late 1800s, captures a sense of middle-class life of that time. The boy's clothing—the buttoned shirt and sturdy boots—speak to a life of relative comfort and social expectation. What we see here is a kind of candid snapshot of this boy in a formal setting: is he at school? Waiting for a music lesson? Or is this simply a commissioned sketch by a proud parent? To fully understand the context, we might explore Dutch social structures of the time, looking at class divisions and the cultural values placed on children. Archival records, fashion plates, and even family photos could provide a richer understanding. The meaning of this artwork is, in other words, contingent on social and institutional context.