Spotprent 1878

This print by Johan Michaël Schmidt Crans likely dates to 1878, and uses lithography. It depicts a young boy listlessly leaning on a table, while a woman, presumably his governess, gestures towards some toys. The print is titled “De Nederlandsche Bouwploeg,” which translates to “The Dutch Building Crew,” a reference to a Dutch masonic journal, where this image was published. The humor relies on a dialogue between the figures. The governess asks why the boy doesn’t want to play with his building blocks, to which he replies that they are boring. She suggests he play with the box of ‘boards’ instead. The joke is not particularly funny, but the lithograph likely reflects the artist’s views on education and the societal expectations placed on children of the time. The print offers a glimpse into the dynamics between children and their educators, and what was considered to be appropriate childhood play in the Netherlands during the late 19th century.