Portræt af dreng med en legetøjshest 1745 - 1806

Jens Juel sketched this portrait of a boy with a toy horse in pencil and pastel. It is typical of the late 18th century, when artists across Europe were interested in capturing the innocence and naturalness of childhood. This informal portrait represents the changing attitudes toward children. The boy is shown with his toys, as an individual personality rather than a miniature adult. Juel was working in Denmark, where the Enlightenment had taken hold in aristocratic and intellectual circles. Progressive thinkers advocated for more humane methods of education, moving away from strict discipline toward encouraging the child's natural curiosity. The portrait captures the emergence of the idea of ‘childhood’ as a distinct phase of life. Art historians draw on sources such as letters, diaries, and educational treatises to understand how cultural values shape artistic representation. In this way, art provides a window into the social structures of the past.