Het toilet van poes 1876 - 1890

This is "Het toilet van poes," or "The Cat's Toilet," a print by the artist Michelet. The artwork depicts children’s play and anthropomorphism. In the image, visual codes such as dress and setting suggest a bourgeois domestic sphere, likely in Europe. The cultural reference to children playing house underscores the importance of domesticity and family life in shaping social values. The image uses playful humor to comment on the social roles and expectations assigned to children, particularly girls, in caring for pets, turning them into children. To understand the artwork better, we might consult sociological studies of family life and gender roles in the late 19th century, and educational literature that might explain the institutionalisation of childhood social norms. By understanding the values and expectations of its time, we can see how art reflects, reinforces, or challenges prevailing social norms.