Het knaapje en zijn stokpaard 1875 - 1903

This print, Het knaapje en zijn stokpaard or The Boy and his Hobbyhorse, made by Jan de Haan, presents a child standing with a toy horse in a quaint, dreamlike setting. The composition centres on the figure of the child. He's positioned off-centre which creates a slight tension that draws our eyes around the image. Note how the soft, muted colours give the scene a nostalgic atmosphere, while the crisp lines define the shapes of the boy and his horse. The hat on the boy's head, constructed from folded paper, adds an element of playful deconstruction, undermining conventional notions of dress and decorum. The surrounding landscape is rendered with subtle gradations of colour, enhancing the dreamy effect. This image destabilizes traditional representations of childhood, challenging fixed categories of innocence. Through its formal qualities, the print suggests that meaning is never fixed, but emerges through the interplay of signs and the viewer's interpretation. This work functions as a commentary on the performative aspects of identity.