De kindren zyn altoos genegen om te speelen; / Men gun hen deeze vreugd, zy kan hun zinne streelen. / Wat spel het weezen mag, het zy hen toegestaan, / Zo 't hen in 't leeren maar niet agteruit doet gaan 1715 - 1813

This hand-colored etching was made by Jan Oortman Senior, likely around the late 18th century. It presents a series of scenes depicting children at play, arranged in a grid-like composition. The subdued color palette, dominated by blues, browns, and creams, lends a sense of gentle nostalgia. The charm of the artwork lies in its structure: four distinct vignettes, each framing a different game or interaction. These scenes are not merely anecdotal, but are held together by lines of text that serve both as captions and moral guides. These verses act as structural elements that influence how we read each image, and, together with the images, destabilize the simple idea of a child's playtime. Each scene, though self-contained, speaks to broader themes of education, socialization, and childhood. The composition encourages us to consider how play shapes the child. This work by Oortman functions not just aesthetically but also as part of a larger cultural and philosophical discourse, highlighting the value a society places on its children.