Grietje en Marietje met poppenwagens 1916

Frans Lazarom created "Grietje en Marietje met poppenwagens" as an ink drawing in the early twentieth century, a time when societal norms tightly prescribed gender roles. The image captures a slice of domestic life, highlighting the performative aspects of girlhood through play. We see two girls with their doll carriages outside what appears to be a grandmother's house. But the scene is disrupted by the older woman, eyes wide and hands up in alarm, as a black cat leaps dramatically over the fence toward her. This intrusion disrupts the innocence of childhood, hinting at the superstitions that can haunt our everyday realities. The artist plays with tensions between childhood innocence and adult anxieties, perhaps reflecting on how cultural beliefs are passed down and shape individual experiences. Consider the subtle ways fear and innocence are intertwined in our lives and the societal pressures that shape our perceptions.