Lieve kindren speel altoos, vriendlijk en verheugd 1806 - 1858

Willem Carl Wansleven created this print, “Lieve kindren speel altoos, vriendlijk en verheugd”, sometime before his death in 1860. The composition is structured as a series of vignettes arranged horizontally across the page, each depicting different scenes of children at play. Note the restricted palette of muted blues, yellows, and browns, which lends the print a sense of historical distance. The structural arrangement of these scenes invites a semiotic reading. Each vignette functions as a signifier, pointing to broader cultural values associated with childhood innocence and the importance of play in development. The repetition of figures and settings creates a visual rhythm that emphasizes the cyclical nature of childhood activities. Consider the use of line and form; the figures are rendered with simple, almost cartoonish outlines, which reduces them to archetypal representations of childhood. This flattening of form reflects a broader artistic concern with abstraction, reducing the figures to their most essential elements. This print encourages us to consider how seemingly simple forms can convey complex cultural meanings, and how the structure of an artwork shapes our understanding.