Jongens spelen het spel Jonas in de wallevis Possibly 1649

"Jongens spelen het spel Jonas in de wallevis" (Boys playing the game of Jonah in the whale) is a pen and brown ink drawing by Dutch Golden Age painter Harmen ter Borch, dated February 26, 1649. This sketch, held in the Rijksmuseum, depicts a group of young boys playfully reenacting the biblical story of Jonah and the whale. This informal scene, typical of ter Borch's genre paintings, offers a glimpse into the everyday lives of children in 17th-century Dutch society. The artist's quick, expressive lines capture the energy and spontaneity of the scene, while the use of brown ink evokes a sense of warmth and intimacy.