Kindermeisje met drie meisjes op het strand van Scheveningen 1874 - 1927

Johan Antonie de Jonge made this delicate watercolor and pencil drawing of a governess with three girls on the beach at Scheveningen. The thin washes of color, combined with the delicate pencil lines, create a sense of light and movement, like a fleeting memory. De Jonge’s choice of watercolor and pencil, rather than oil paint, speaks to a certain informality. Watercolors were often seen as a less serious medium, suitable for sketches and studies, rather than finished works of art. This imbues the image with a sense of spontaneity and immediacy, as if we're catching a glimpse of a private moment. The very act of capturing this scene—a governess and her charges enjoying a day at the beach—tells us about the social context in which de Jonge was working. It is also a study of labor, contrasting the leisured class with the figure of the governess, whose work made this day at the beach possible. By focusing on these figures, de Jonge invites us to consider the complex relationships that underpinned the society of his time.