Man en vrouw bij een wieg met baby c. 1836 - 1876

This lithograph was made by Carel Christiaan Antony Last in the Netherlands, at some point in the 19th century. It depicts a middle-class couple admiring their baby in a cradle, surrounded by vignettes of everyday life. The charm of this family scene, however, seems to me to be at odds with the social and political climate of the time. In the 1800s, the Netherlands was undergoing significant social and economic changes that led to stark class divisions. The emerging middle class sought to distinguish itself and these visual cues of domesticity served as powerful symbols of status. This image creates meaning through cultural references and historical associations. It is a celebration of the bourgeois family, presented perhaps as a normative ideal. To fully understand art like this, it's important to consider its broader context. By consulting historical documents, social commentaries, and institutional records, we can explore the complex relationship between art and society.