Kids!
Between Representation and Reality
28.11.2025 — 6.4.2026
Few subjects reflect a society’s values and norms, and how they change over time, as clearly as depictions of children. The exhibition Kids! Between Representation and Reality, at the Bucerius Kunst Forum, focuses on the portrayal of children in art from the 16th to the 21st century. Six chapters approach the subject from different perspectives and show not only paintings but also photographs, works on paper, media art and sculptures.
The exhibition thus begins with a presentation of depictions of Madonna, in which the ideas of mother-child relationships and their influence up to the present day become clear. The portrayal of children has had various functions over the centuries. Created in circles of the high nobility around 1500, portraits of children were intended to underpin the continuity and claim to power. Against this backdrop, portraits were often created showing the successors to the throne in armor as small adults. In this way, they were prepared for the future role of general and ruler. A playful variant is the portrait historié, in which the children were depicted as ancient gods, for example. In the 17th century in particular, Dutch and Spanish genre painters took up the motif of poor children, which still lives on today. The artists were not necessarily interested in taking a socially critical stance. It is not uncommon for children in financially disadvantaged, often precarious life situations to have a smile written all over their faces. Child labor was not fundamentally rejected either. It was seen as a valuable way for children to contribute to their family's income.
The multifaceted nature of the exhibition illuminates the diverse perspectives and functions of children's pictures over the centuries. In the past, for instance, portraits of deceased children were the only means of preserving their memory. Today, commemoration takes place in a different way – for example through lifelike photographs that show children in happy life situations. The most serious change, which testifies to a different conception and definition of childhood, took place at the end of the 17th century and in the 18th century. Children were now allowed their own development – as close to nature as possible and away from the adult world.
The theme of “being a child” is still one of the most popular pictorial themes in the visual arts today: Trying things out, pushing oneself to the limits, drawing, playing and togetherness are characteristic of the most important phase of a person's life.
Images
Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) Master Crewe as Henry VIII, ca. 1775 Oil on canvas, Tate, Lent from a private collection, 2009, London The young John Crewe is dressed as Henry VIII as he appeared in a portrait, now lost, by Hans Holbein the Younger. Master John is clearly at ease and in high spirits, a marked contrast to the real Henry, renowned as a brutal tyrant. To authentically capture children’s personalities, Reynolds was adept at creating a relaxed atmosphere in the portrait sessions.
Judith Leyster may well have produced this lively picture while at Frans Hals’ workshop in the 1630s. This is a tronie, as it is called, a head and character study. There is a question whether this could also be one of Leyster’s own children. However, then the picture would date from the 1650s and, solely in stylistic terms, that seems unlikely.
Henri Martin (1860–1943) Young Peasant Girl in the Sun, 1890 Oil on canvas, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Mulhouse, Coll. SIM, Geschenk der Société des Arts 1890
The young country girl is wearing white ballerinas and her best Sunday dress. Self-absorbed, her eyes closed and hands on her hips, she stands perfectly still in the sunshine. In this painting, Henri Martin has skilfully reproduced the shimmering summer heat, applying the colour in parts with a small palette knife to evoke the vibrant light.
Thomas Lawrence (1769–1830) Arch Duchess Maria Theresa (1816–1867), 1819 Oil on canvas, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Gemäldegalerie
In a white dress, Maria Theresa is sitting on the ground. At first glance, the spreading landscape seems hidden by a red velvet curtain. This virtuoso work by English artist Thomas Lawrence, much in demand across Europe, reflects Maria Theresa’s station as niece to Emperor Leopold II. Yet although a display portrait, it shows that even the highest nobility now preferred child portraits to be far more natural.
Nicolaes Maes, Portrait of a Boy as a Hunter
(Adonis?), ca. 1670, © Gemäldegalerie der
Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien
Philipp Otto Runge, Portrait of Luise Perthes,
1805, Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Museums
Tiziano Vecellio (Titian) (1488/90–1576) Portrait of Guidobaldo II della Rovere (1514–1574), Duke of Urbino, with his Son Francesco Maria II (1549–1631), 1555 Oil on canvas, The Klesch Collection Guidobaldo II della Rovere, a successful mercenary army leader, proudly presents his son and successor. The little Francesco Maria II’s suit of armour is already waiting for him. Respectfully, he gazes up at his father, reaching for his hand to attract his attention.
Jens Juel (1745–1802) Countess Eleonora Sophie Bille Brahe, née Rantzau, with her Eldest Son Henrik, 1799 Oil on canvas, Private Collection This charming scene shows the deep bond of affection between Countess Eleonora Sophie Bille Brahe and Henrik, her oldest son. Rendering the family’s heir naturally as a child rather than in a prestigious portrait for public display also testifies to the Count and Countess Bille Brahe’s openness to the new pedagogical approaches of their day.
Anthonis (Anthony) van Dyck (1599–1641) Portrait of Charles, Prince of Wales (1630–1685), later King Charles II, 1641 Oil on canvas, The Klesch Collection In armour and holding a staff of office, the young Prince of Wales is presented as the heir to the throne. He is already wearing the Order of the Garter, Britain’s most exclusive order of knighthood. Van Dyck travelled widely and, almost more than any other artist, profoundly influenced portraiture. This portrait was one of his last commissioned works.
Caspar Netscher (ca. 1636/39–1684) A Portrait of Two Boys, Presumably the Artist’s Sons Theodorus (1661–1728) and Constantijn (1668–1723), ca. 1680/83 Oil on canvas, Collection Bob Haboldt, Amsterdam The two young teenage boys in this double portrait may well be the artist’s sons, who also became painters. In 1680, the older, Theodorus, left his father’s workshop in The Hague to work in Paris, possibly the occasion for this portrait. The index finger pointing forwards and the piece of paper in the foreground may be signs of his imminent departure.
Gerrit van Honthorst (1592–1656) Allegory with Prince William II (1626–1650) as a Child with his two Sisters, 1629 Oil on canvas, Paleis Het Loo Nationaal Museum, Appeldorn, The Netherlands Prince William and his two sisters are dressed as the figures of Cupid, Fortuna and Flora from classical mythology. Just as Cupid, the god of love, curbs the panther, he also knows how to curb all instinctive drives. Fortuna and Flora’s abundance of fruit symbolises their gift to the Dutch Republic’s prosperity, the country Prince Wilhelm is later to rule as Stadtholder. The portrait thus emphasises the perpetuation of the House of Orange, at that time a relatively new dynastic house.
Stephen Poyntz Denning (1795–1864) Princess Victoria (1819–1901), later Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, aged Four, 1823 Oil on panel, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London In 1821, Stephen Poyntz Denning became the first curator of London’s Dulwich Picture Gallery and received numerous portrait commissions from the British royal family. He retained this small-format portrait in his private collection. Princess Victoria, then four years old, is wearing a voluminous black coat, presumably a sign of mourning for the death of her father Edward, Duke of Kent (1767–1820). Francesco de’ Rossi, gen.
Salviati (1510–1563) Portrait of Ranuccio Farnese (after Titian), after 1542 Oil on walnut panel, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie At a very early age, Ranuccio Farnese (1530–1565) already held various public offices. When Farnese was just twelve years old, his grandfather Pope Paul III (1468–1549) appointed him as Prior of the Knights Hospitaller Church in Venice – possibly the reason for a prestigious display portrait. A family member may well have commissioned this smaller copy of Titian’s original.
Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp (1594–1652) und Aelbert Cuyp (1620–1691) Two Children with Cattle in a Landscape with a Shepherd near a Ruin, 1651 Oil on canvas, Dordrechts Museum, Acquired with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt and Bedrijfsvrienden Dordrechts Museum This double portrait combines Christian piety, embodied by the image of the good shepherd, with the idealisation of antiquity and childlike virtues. The sheep represent the girl’s innocence. To curb the billy goat, a symbol of unbridled desire, the young boy holds it by the horns. The idyllic Arcadian setting provides the background for this ‘portrait historié’, a work combining portraiture and allegory.
F.C. Gundlach (1926–2021) Playing with a Veil at Salon Staebe, 1955 Bromide Silver gelatin print, Stiftung F.C. Gundlach, Gundlach Nachlass, Hamburg Away from the bustle of a communion dress fashion show at a Salon in Berlin’s Grunewald district, F.C. Gundlach captures a child model playing with a bride’s veil she found by chance. Totally absorbed, she poses in the mirror – a very different shot from the staged fashion photographs Gundlach was commissioned to take for the Berlin Staebe-Seger label.
Caesar van Everdingen (ca. 1617–1678) Young Girl as Diana, ca. 1665 Oil on canvas, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, Flemish Community In this portrait, the little girl is presented in the guise of Diane, goddess of the hunt. The classical world is evident in details such as her pale-yellow Roman tunic, her hunting horn, and the oak leaf branch at the top left. Yet her exquisite jewellery and the expensive material of her clothes point to her parents’ desire, as patrons of the work, for a prestigious display portrait.
Johann Zoffany (1733–1810) Archduke Francis, later Emperor Francis I (II) (1768–1835) at the Age of Seven, 1775 Oil on canvas, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Gemäldegalerie Born in Frankfurt, Zoffany later found fame in London. In this work, he portrays the future Emperor Franz I (II) as a child. Standing in a raised position, Franz is surrounded by symbols evoking his status and education – from the various orders he is wearing to the globe and classical bust. The Italian palazzo in the background alludes to Florence, where he spent his childhood. Pedestal
Germain Pilon (1535–1590) Bust of a Young Prince, ca. 1550/60 Polychromed terracotta, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst, Eigentum des Kaiser Friedrich Museumsvereins With such highly fashionable and expensive clothing, this boy might well have been a prince, possibly the son of Henry II, king of France, and Catherine de’ Medici. The bust could show either their first-born son, later Francis II, or their third son, Alexander-Édouard, later Henry III. Any natural childishness here is subsumed under an already practised pose reflecting a royal status.
Social status
Master of the Gild of Saint George (active ca. 1500 in Mecheln) Archduke Charles (1500–1558), Portrait as a Two-Year-Old with his Sisters Eleanor (1498–1558) and Isabella (1501–1526), 1502 Oil on panel, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Gemäldegalerie These are among the earliest known examples of child portraits. The coat of arms above Charles, Eleanor and Isabella clearly identify them as children of the dynastic House of Habsburg, headed by Emperor Maximilian I. The empty fields in Eleanor’s and Isabella’s shields are for their future husbands’ heraldic arms. Prominently placed in the centre, Archduke Charles, dynastic son and heir, already wears the chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Master of the Portraits of the Thenn Children (Wolf Huber Workshop?) Ruprecht (1512–1545), Wolf (?) (1507–1538) and Barbara Thenn (1513–1542), the Children of Moneyer Johann Thenn, 1516 Mixed technique on lime panel, Städel Museum, Frankfurt a. M. These are among the earliest known portraits of children from the prosperous middle classes. As the oldest child, Ruprecht is portrayed in a larger format than his two siblings. His younger brother has a little sparrow he plans to train attached by a thread to his hand. This is what the white cloth ball is for, onto which food is sprinkled. His sister is holding a cherry as a symbol of youth. The two youngest children are wearing red coral necklaces, said to have the power to keep illnesses at bay.
Northern Netherlandish Portrait of a Girl Aged Six Months, 1626 Oil on panel, Frits Lugt Collection, Fondation Custodia, Paris This prestigious portrait has a certain disconcerting quality, since the little girl was just six months old and so could not yet stand. In fact, only her head was portrayed and fitted into an existing design. Given the high rates of child mortality at that time, parents were glad if their children survived the first six months. The coral necklaces and bracelets were supposed to protect her from harm, in particular from early death in childhood. Jacob Adriaensz. Backer (1608–1651) A Young Girl with a Pearl Necklace, ca. 1639/40 Oil on panel, Private Collection Backer, who became well known in Amsterdam, specialised in portraits and ‘tronies’, head and character studies of individuals. In this work, he has captured the likeness of a young girl, evidently made up and in costume. Backer’s remarkably loose brushstroke and thin application of colour testify to his ability to paint expressive portraits exceptionally quickly. Jan Claesz. (before 1570 – after 1618) Portrait of a Girl Aged Six with a Cherry, 1594 Oil on panel, Collection Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede, The Netherlands The little girl is magnificent dressed, from her ‘millstone’ collar, a type of ruff made of white starched linen, to her black dress with sleeves from elegantly cut black velvet. In one hand, she holds a handkerchief comforter and in the other a red cherry, symbolising youthful vitality and fertility. Weitere Presseinformationen und Bildmaterial: Ineke Rickert, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bucerius Kunst Forum, +49 (0)40 36 09 96 78, presse@buceriuskunstforum.de, buceriuskunstforum.de Jan Antonisz. van Ravesteyn (ca. 1572–1657) Portrait of Hugo Grotius (1583–1645) Aged Sixteen Years, 1599 Oil on panel, Frits Lugt Collection, Fondation Custodia, Paris At 16, Hugo Grotius was not yet an adult, but neither was he a child – although he was renowned as a child prodigy. He completed his degree in theology when he was around thirteen. Two years later, he accompanied a diplomatic mission to meet Henry IV, the French king. While staying for a short time in Orléans, Grotius was also awarded a doctorate in church and Roman law. Back in the Netherlands, even though not at the legal age required, he was sworn in as an attorney serving the state – quite possibly the occasion for commissioning this portrait. Abraham van den Tempel (1622/23–1672) Portrait of Cornelis van Groenendyck (1658–1704), 1668 Oil on canvas, Collection Haags Historisch Museum, The Hague Ever since the Middle Ages, hunting was reserved for the nobility. But from the 17th century on, the prosperous middle classes also had their children portrayed as hunters. In this work, the Van Groenendyck family from Gouda indicated the high expectations they had of their child. Their wish was fulfilled as later Cornelis became mayor of his hometown. Caspar Netscher (ca. 1636/39–1684) A Portrait of Two Boys, Presumably the Artist’s Sons Theodorus (1661–1728) and Constantijn (1668–1723), ca. 1680/83 Oil on canvas, Collection Bob Haboldt, Amsterdam The two young teenage boys in this double portrait may well be the artist’s sons, who also became painters. In 1680, the older, Theodorus, left his father’s workshop in The Hague to work in Paris, possibly the occasion for this portrait. The index finger pointing forwards and the piece of paper in the foreground may be signs of his imminent departure. Pedestal Christoph Amberger (ca. 1505–1561/62) Portrait of a Girl Aged Fifteen, 1530 Portrait of a Girl Aged Eleven Oil tempera on panel, Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Ältere Kunstgeschichtliche Sammlung This folding portrait diptych is among the earliest likenesses of nonaristocratic children. Most likely, the handy small format was chosen for practical reasons, as it was much easier to take on journeys. The two sisters are wearing the latest fashions. For instance, the flat beret-style hat, known as a Schlappe, first became popular in around 1525. Christoph Amberger (ca. 1505–1561/62) Floral Ornament and Grotesque Heads, 1530 Floral Ornament and Unicorn Heads, 1530 Oil tempera on panel, Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Ältere Kunstgeschichtliche Sammlung Weitere Presseinformationen und Bildmaterial: Ineke Rickert, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bucerius Kunst Forum, +49 (0)40 36 09 96 78, presse@buceriuskunstforum.de, buceriuskunstforum.de Portraits were not always hung on the wall. This pair of portraits, for instance, was fitted with hinges. The two panels could be closed, protecting the images. The outer panels of folding diptychs were often painted; these are decorated with grotesquerie and ornamental elements. The design also includes the initials ‘SA’, almost certainly for the artist as ‘Stoffel’ Amberger. In southern Germany, ‘Stoffel’ is an affectionate form of Christoph. Display This display presents a collection of carte de visite, cabinet cards and photographic postcards. From their invention in 1854 by French photographer André Adolph-Eugène Disdéri, carte-de-visite portraits were much in demand. Customers could choose a wide range of props and settings to ensure the portraits displayed them in an appropriate way. The format of the slightly larger cabinet cards, originally developed in the 1860s for landscape views, were ideal for studio photos. Afterwards, though, to improve their stability, they needed to be mounted on card. Such a process was unnecessary for the increasingly popular photographic postcard. At the latest by the end of the First World War, it had entirely replaced the carte de visite and cabinet cards. Hermann Prothmann (1822–1884) Portrait of Theresa von Bonin (born 1862), 1867 Carte de visite, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstbibliothek Henri Réyé (1831–1878) Portrait of a Boy, 1871 Carte de visite, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstbibliothek Fritz Sachsze (1874–1893) Portrait of Two Children, ca. 1870 Carte de visite, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstbibliothek Hermann Selle (1836–1872) Portrait of Victoria of Prussia (1866–1929), ca. 1870 Carte de visite, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstbibliothek Emil Ziemer (1863–1944) Portrait of a Boy and a Girl, ca. 1900 Cabinet card, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstbibliothek Gustav Berger (active ca. 1900–1930) Portrait of Wilhelm of Prussia, Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, Hubertus of Prussia (Three Sons of our Crown Princess Couple), 1910 Photographic postcard, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstbibliothek The nobility were quick to recognise photography’s new potential. Soon, they were not only presenting themselves on photographic postcards, but especially their children. Here, the postcards show the Hohenzollern princes, sons of the Prussian ruling family. In one scene, they are in Weitere Presseinformationen und Bildmaterial: Ineke Rickert, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bucerius Kunst Forum, +49 (0)40 36 09 96 78, presse@buceriuskunstforum.de, buceriuskunstforum.de simple, casual summer clothes at the beach, without the trappings of the court. Another photo shows them in sailor suits, highly fashionable at the time and popular across all classes. Breaking with the accepted traditions of royal portraits was a calculated strategy to show the nobility opening up to society and in touch with the people. Wilhelm Niederastroth (1874–1927), Gustav Liersch (1887–1889) & Co. Portrait of Wilhelm of Prussia, Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, Hubertus of Prussia, ca. 1912 Photographic postcard, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstbibliothek Wilhelm Niederastroth (1874–1927), Gustav Liersch (1887–1889) & Co. The Crown Princeʼs Youngest Son in Field-Grey Uniform, for the Benefit of War Aid, ca. 1914 Photographic postcard, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstbibliothek Samson & Co. (active ca. 1901–1914) Portrait of Nana Münzer (?), after 1901 Cabinet card, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstbibliothek Humble backgrounds Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617–1682) Invitation to a Game of Argolla, ca. 1665/70 Oil on canvas, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London Murillo became renowned for depicting, with great compassion, the poverty of street children and child beggars in Seville. Here, the boy on the ground is asking another to stop and play a game of argolla, a form of croquet. Will he join in the game and forget about his errand of fetching fresh oil? Johannes Herst (tätig um 1795) Small Ropewalk at the Jaagpad in Gouda, 1795 Oil on canvas, Collection Museum Gouda, Niederlande Commissioned by the De Koster family of rope manufacturers in Gouda, this painting shows their ropewalk for processing hemp into rope. In the foreground, a boy and a girl use a winder or crank to keep the wooden wheels turning. Yet rather than portraying such child labour critically, the picture highlights the idyllic setting, implying this was a way for families to improve their income. In the Netherlands, child labour was only forbidden by law in 1874. Pieter Cornelisz. van Slingeland (1640–1691) Boy Fishing, ca. 1680 (?) Oil on oak panel, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie Dressed in threadbare clothes, the little boy turns towards us laughing. With childish pride, he holds up his catch, freshly caught with his rod. The fish will be taken directly to the peat bales in the background to be smoked. In this genre painting, the child’s pride in his achievement also represents a universal human emotion. Weitere Presseinformationen und Bildmaterial: Ineke Rickert, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bucerius Kunst Forum, +49 (0)40 36 09 96 78, presse@buceriuskunstforum.de, buceriuskunstforum.de Fritz von Uhde (1848–1911) Yard in Zandvoort, 1903 Pastel on canvas, Private Collection In 1882, Fritz von Uhde spent several weeks in Zandvoort. In this fishing village, he discovered a new appealing subject – the ordinary lives of local families and children. This pastel painting, a late memory of this time, also illustrates Uhde’s style between realism and impressionism. In a rather bleak corner in the foreground, two domestic servants are busily at work; behind them, the estate owner’s children play in the bright light of the verdant garden. Friedrich Seidenstücker (1882–1966) Berlin C. [entrum], 1920/30s Silver gelatin print Pinakothek der Moderne, München, Stiftung Ann und Jürgen Wilde Regarded as a chronicler of Berlin during the Weimar Republic, Friedrich Seidenstücker captured scenes of everyday urban life sensitively and with humour. In his oeuvre, he often returned to the motif of children from poor backgrounds whose playgrounds were the city streets. With his compact camera, he could take his shots of city scenes spontaneously and unobtrusively. Premature loss Jan van Scorel (1495–1562), Circle Family Portrait with a Deceased Child, ca. 1530 Oil on panel, Groninger Museum The entire family gathers to mourn their youngest child, his dead body lying on the table. The background of this remarkable family portrait is quite striking. At that time, the obelisk and pyramid evoked ancient funeral monuments in the Eternal City of Rome that were associated with immortality. In contrast, the ruins reclaimed by nature allude to the transience of all earthly things. Arnold Böcklin (1827–1901) Portrait of Fritz Burckhardt, Son of Fritz and Anna Elisabeth BurckhardtBrenner, 1870 Oil on canvas, Kunstmuseum Basel, Legat Prof. Dr. Fritz Burckhardt-Brenner 1913 The blond boy gazes at us directly with sad, dark eyes. His face and complexion are remarkable pale. In fact, the little boy Fritz was still a child when he died. Arnold Böcklin, a friend of the boy’s parents, painted this from memory as a solace in their grief, helping them preserve the remembrance of their child. Weitere Presseinformationen und Bildmaterial: Ineke Rickert, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bucerius Kunst Forum, +49 (0)40 36 09 96 78, presse@buceriuskunstforum.de, buceriuskunstforum.de Jürgen Ovens (1623–1678) Children Playing, ca. 1657/63 Oil on oak panel, Kunstsammlungen und Museen Augsburg, On loan from the Freunde der Kunstsammlungen Augsburg e. V. (Friends of the Augsburg Art Collections Association) Laughing, the two little children look out at us. One of them, decorated with roses, is also collecting these blossoms in a basket. The other is holding up a shell with soapy water and blowing bubbles. The roses and bubbles both stand for the transience of life. The flowers will fade and decay, and the bubbles burst. The ancient Roman writer Marcus Terentius Varro coined the Latin phase homo bulla, comparing human life to a bubble. Nicolaes Maes (1634–1693) A Dead Child Carried to Heaven by Two Angels, ca. 1675/1685 Oil on canvas, Private Collection, with permission from the Hoogsteder Museum Foundation, The Hague Seemingly half-asleep, the child looks at us with its eyes nearly closed. Yet its posture and paleness suggest it has already peacefully passed away. Two angels are carrying the dead child up to heaven, an image undoubtedly a comfort to the parents. The boxwood garland is decorated with fragrant flowers. The evergreen boxwood, which reputedly also wards off evil, stands for eternal life. Nicolaes Maes (1634–1693) Group Portrait with Four Children as Mythological Figures, 1674 Oil on canvas, Dordrechts Museum, acquired with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt, 1972 At first glance, the group of children seem to be playing, but actually the painting commemorates the loss of a brother. He is sitting on the back of a massive eagle – an allusion to the Metamorphoses, the lyrical tales by the Roman poet Ovid. Zeus, father of the gods, descended in the shape of an eagle to carry off the handsome Ganymede as his future cup bearer. German A Girl Leaning out of the Window, ca. 1580/1595 Engraving, Frits Lugt Collection, Fondation Custodia, Paris In this remarkable engraving, a young girl is leaning out of a window, her hand evidently raised in greeting. Details in the scene allude to the transience of life – a broken bulls-eye windowpane, and a rose, soon to decay. Very probably, the child’s necklace and bracelets are coral, believed to have the power to ward off evil and illnesses. At a time of high child mortality, babies and infants were commonly given necklaces of coral to wear. Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) Allegory of Death, ca. 1625 Pen and brown ink, brown wash, black chalk, heightened with white bodycolour Frits Lugt Collection, Fondation Custodia, Paris Weitere Presseinformationen und Bildmaterial: Ineke Rickert, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bucerius Kunst Forum, +49 (0)40 36 09 96 78, presse@buceriuskunstforum.de, buceriuskunstforum.de A laughing figure of Death snatches up a young boy who had just been feeding at his mother’s breast, As the hourglass shows, the child’s time on Earth is over. In this allegorical image, the three floating crowns symbolise God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Ghost, ultimately more powerful than Death’s hold over the earthly domain. Joachim von Sandrart (1606–1688) Allegory of Death with Putti, ca. 1660/65 (?) Red chalk on hand-made paper, Private Collection Busily writing in a book, the skeleton is no doubt entering the names of all those due to die. From extinguishing a flaming torch to blowing soap bubbles, the activities of the six putti around the skeleton allude allegorically to mortality. The final putto lifts up an urn to symbolise death conquered. Yet though crowned by a triumphant laurel wreath, the urn is jokingly decorated by a hare with floppy ears. Stephan Melzl (born 1959) Zwilling I, 2009 Oil on panel, Private Collection Despite its familiar elements, Stephan Melzl’s painting is surprisingly odd. His composition juxtaposes the sacred and profane. The halo inscribed with a cross normally denotes Christ, while the white cloth recalls the legend of the Veil of Veronica, said to have Christ’s face miraculously imprinted in it. But rather than Christ’s likeness, we see a teenager in a skiing helmet. In this work, viewers are inevitably drawn to thoughts of mortality and the transience of life. Being a child – playing, learning, and experiencing life Thomas Lawrence (1769–1830) Portrait of the Children of Lord George Cavendish, 1790 Oil on panel, Städel Museum, on permanent loan from the Adolf and Luisa Haeuser -Stiftung für Kunst und Kulturpflege, Frankfurt (Main) This portrait of brothers and sister William, George and Anne voices the Enlightenment’s progressive educational ideals. Since playful learning leads to reason, children from the nobility are encouraged to indulge in carefree games in nature. While little Anne’s dress may seem unsuitable for such frolics and slides off her shoulder, George Henry to the left is wearing a fashionable one-piece skeleton suit allowing more high spirits and freedom of movement. Weitere Presseinformationen und Bildmaterial: Ineke Rickert, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bucerius Kunst Forum, +49 (0)40 36 09 96 78, presse@buceriuskunstforum.de, buceriuskunstforum.de François Boucher (1703–1770) The Seesaw, 1730s Oil on canvas, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Mulhouse The five naked little boys playing on a natural see-saw in the countryside are not real children, but putti set in an imaginary landscape. By painting them without wings, the artist deliberately locates them in an ambivalent space between human beings and mythological figures. In art, the putti are normally shown frolicking on the periphery of events. Here, though, François Boucher has taken them as a subject in their own right. James Tissot (1836–1902) A Little Nimrod, ca. 1882 Oil on canvas, Besançon, musée des Beaux-Arts et dʼArchéologie What seems just a boisterous children’s game actually alludes to a biblical story. Nimrod, Noah’s great-grandson, was the first ruler on Earth and a mighty hunter. On this dangerous hunt, the ‘little Nimrod’ has managed to kill a lion and tiger, despite it costing the life of his companion. Now, crowned with a paper helmet and riding a wooden horse on wheels, he contentedly slides his sabre back into its scabbard. Josef Danhauser (1805–1845) The Little Virtuosos I, 1843 Oil on cardboard, Belvedere, Wien The artist Josef Danhauser died when he was just 39 years old. In his paintings, he often immortalised his three children. Here, he depicts Joseph, the oldest, and his sister Marie, two years younger, at play. Exhausted after giving a virtuoso concert, Joseph has fallen asleep still clutching the cello bow. Holding up some sheet music, Marie is singing in her best opera voice. Danhauser captures the performance of these ‘little virtuosos’ with humour and empathy. Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein (1751–1829) Cornelia Wilhelmine Amsinck (1800–1861) as a Child, ca. 1805 Oil on canvas, Hamburger Kunsthalle After several years in Italy, Tischbein lived in Hamburg from 1801 to 1808. Here, he made a living as a portrait painter. His commissions included this likeness of Cornelia Wilhelmine Amsinck, the daughter of one of the city’s distinguished families. Her white Greco-Roman style dress reflects the neoclassical taste of that time. The doll, protectively held in her hands, was her favourite toy. Théodore Géricault (1791–1824) Three Children Playing with a Donkey, 1820 Pen and lithographic ink on primed canvas (stone paper, Private Collection This lithograph shows some young boys trying to make a donkey move. But rather than just depicting a practical joke, it has another level of meaning. The rider is wearing a bonnet rouge, the Phrygian or liberty caps favoured by supporters of the French Revolution. In this way, Géricault Weitere Presseinformationen und Bildmaterial: Ineke Rickert, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bucerius Kunst Forum, +49 (0)40 36 09 96 78, presse@buceriuskunstforum.de, buceriuskunstforum.de draws a comparison between the liberation movement’s efforts and the boys struggle to shift a donkey stubbornly refusing to go backwards or forwards. John Ward (1917–2007) The Newspaper Boys, 1960 Oil on canvas, Tate, purchased with the support of the Charlotte Bonham Centre Trust in 1998, London For this painting, Jon Ward has interrupted his sons William and George during their game. George looks out of the picture expectantly, waiting for the fun to continue. Some educational reforms advocated by philosopher John Locke in the 1600s are still valid today, especially the idea of children learning through play and so shaping their characters. Dressed in their newspaper costumes, what roles could these two boys be playing? Markéta Luskačová (born 1944) Children in a Playground I, III, IV, X, London 1988 Silver gelatin bromide prints on photographic paper, Private Collection Born in Prague, the photographer Markéta Luskačová arrived in England in 1975. Ever since the birth of her son Matthew Emanuel in 1977, children have been at the heart of her work. In 1988, she took these photographs of children playing in the school yard during a break. They are busy with different games, but all exude a carefree joy of life. Rineke Dijkstra Ruth Drawing Picasso, 2009 Video, 6:33 Min., Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin Sitting on the floor, the young girl alternates between intensely looking and intensely sketching in the drawing block on her lap. Her gaze goes past the pictorial frame to something invisible for us: Picasso’s Weeping Woman from 1937. She is entirely focused on that painting, gradually copying it in a version of her own. Rineke Dijkstra documents a moment of quiet concentration in an encounter between a child and art. Jan Josef Horemans the Younger (1714–1792) The Classroom, ca. 1733 Oil on panel, Private Collection, courtesy of the Hoogsteder Museum Foundation, The Hague Although at first glance this looks like an old-fashioned shop, it is actually a classroom. To enable children from poorer families to attend school, they could pay the fees in kind with, for instance, eggs or bread. In particular in the Calvinist regions of the Netherlands, considerable efforts were taken to ensure school education was not just the privilege of the upper classes. Friedrich Carl Gröger (1766–1838) Portrait of Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, ca. 1802 Oil on canvas, Private Collection Weitere Presseinformationen und Bildmaterial: Ineke Rickert, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bucerius Kunst Forum, +49 (0)40 36 09 96 78, presse@buceriuskunstforum.de, buceriuskunstforum.de Gröger’s portrait of the granddaughter of Christian VII, king of Denmark shows her surrounded by toys in her own room. Looking directly out at us, she holds out an illustrated schoolbook. Presenting play and education combined childhood’s most important spheres and – quite in tune with the zeitgeist – avoided the traditional prestigious display portrait. Christian Leberecht Vogel (1759–1816) Carl Christian (1788–1868) and Franz Friedrich Vogel (1790–1869) (?), ca. 1792/93 Charcoal and chalk on paper, Private Collection This large format drawing served the artist as a model for an oil painting of the same size. With its mix of double portrait and genre painting, the final work soon became iconic as an affectionate depiction of childhood. In the Enlightenment, the illustrated children’s book was a key medium in encouraging child-centred education. The illustrations were intended to promote visual perception and learning. Cornelis de Vos (1584/85–1651) Portrait of Susanna de Vos, The Painter’s Third Daughter, 1627 Oil on oak panel, Städel Museum, Frankfurt (Main) In the 1620s, Cornelis de Vos specialised in portraits of children. Here, he has painted an affectionate portrait of Susanna, his fifteen-month-old daughter. Although the artist commonly painted his own children, this is the only individual portrait known of his daughter. She is laughing contentedly as she nibbles a sweet delicacy, a scene most likely only intended for the family audience. Gerhard Richter (born 1932) Moritz, 2000/01/19 Oil on canvas, Private Collection In this intimate oil painting, Gerhard Richter portrays his infant son Moritz during one of his first attempts to feed himself. The small format heightens the resonances with a photo in a family album. In fact, Richter did take a photo as the model for this scene. In 2019, many years after the painting was finished, he reworked it and added the almost transparent light-grey brush strokes. German Siblings, ca. 1830 Tempera on canvas, Private Collection The two sisters have a rather unsettling appearance. The younger girl is holding a dead bird, a great tit, while the older is gripping a whip. Is this actually a double portrait? Or could it symbolise the transition from childhood to adolescence? If so, the dead bird may stand for the loss of childish innocence, while the apple represents temptation, and thus a new phase in life. The time of childhood games, alluded to by the whip for spinning tops, is now over. Weitere Presseinformationen und Bildmaterial: Ineke Rickert, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bucerius Kunst Forum, +49 (0)40 36 09 96 78, presse@buceriuskunstforum.de, buceriuskunstforum.de Judith Leyster (1609–1660) Girl with a Straw Hat, 1630s Oil on panel, Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck/Sammlung Rau for UNICEF, Remagen Genre painter
Otto Modersohn (1865–1943) Spring, 1900 Oil on canvas, Private Collection Throughout his life, Otto Modersohn sought the authentic and natural – and came close to this ideal in his painting of a young girl in spring-like countryside. In his oeuvre, he repeatedly revisited the subject of a girl under a tree, gradually dissolving the connection between the girl and the beholder. Here, for example, she is only rendered schematically. Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876–1907) Two Children Standing in the Sun by the Meadow Fence, ca. 1902 Oil on artist’s board, German Private Collection, c/o Otto-Modersohn-Museum, Fischerhude This picture conveys the sense of a carefree Sunday outing. When she painted this work, Paula Modersohn-Becker had moved to the Worpswede artists’ colony after marrying the widowed artist Otto Modersohn. Her abstract painting style which, for instance, omits details in the faces, was far ahead of her contemporaries. Weitere Presseinformationen und Bildmaterial: Ineke Rickert, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bucerius Kunst Forum, +49 (0)40 36 09 96 78, presse@buceriuskunstforum.de, buceriuskunstforum.de Michel François (born. 1956) Untitled, 1997 Print on black and white PE paper, Kunststiftung DZ Bank, Frankfurt a. M. These two monumental photographs belong to the series 55 Posters Distributed Between 1996–2016. In this series, Michel François staged his protagonists or captured their image spontaneously. In a static pose, the young boy seems to merge with the truck inner tube to form a single graphic element. In contrast, the young girl appears to be about to jump directly into the cool water. Confidently, she has set her hands on her hips. She turns sceptically, as if asking ‘who are you to be watching me? Philipp Otto Runge (1777–1810) Portrait of Luise Perthes, 1805 Oil on canvas, Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Museen Philipp Otto Runge’s portrait shows Luise, the third child of Hamburg bookseller and publisher Friedrich Perthes. Then three years old, she stands on a chair at the window of the family’s new house. From here, she has a direct view of the Jungfernstieg promenade below, and can see the Alster river and Lombard Bridge, then still with its windmill. Through the window, a beam of light falls around the child, transforming her into a symbol of childhood. Johann Friedrich August Tischbein (1750–1812) Amalia Augusta of Anhalt-Dessau at a Christmas Tree, 1797 Oil on canvas, On loan from the Anhaltische Gemäldegalerie Dessau, acquired with funds from the Kulturstiftung der Länder, the State of Saxony-Anhalt, the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung, the Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung together with the Sparkasse Dessau and the City of Dessau-Roßlau. Her cheeks red with joy, three-year-old hereditary Princess Amalia Augusta of Anhalt-Dessau hurries towards the decorated Christmas tree. This painting is, in fact, one of the earliest known depictions of a decorated festive tree. Tischbein was appointed court artist in Dessau in 1795. There, inspired by the English model of Joshua Reynolds and others, he established a more natural, emotional portrait style. Nobuyoshi Araki (born 1940) Untitled, 1963 Silver gelatin baryta prints Kunststiftung DZ Bank, Frankfurt a. M. The photographs on show here belong to the series Satchi and his brother Mabo from 1963 to 1965. Still looking for his own identity as a photographer, Araki took these shots documenting children’s naturalness and their carefree everyday life. Following their own inner rhythm, the two brothers stroll through the streets. Bartholomeus van der Helst (ca. 1613–1670) Portrait of a Boy (Lodewijk van der Helst?) with his Dog, 1643 Oil on canvas, Private Collection, courtesy of the Hoogsteder Museum Foundation, The Hague Weitere Presseinformationen und Bildmaterial: Ineke Rickert, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Bucerius Kunst Forum, +49 (0)40 36 09 96 78, presse@buceriuskunstforum.de, buceriuskunstforum.de The little boy, probably the artist’s second son, happily looks out at us, sharing his bowl of porridge with his dog. Surrounded by numerous toys, he seems to be bathing in the innocence and freedom of childhood. After he has eaten, he can again play with the marbles, the leather ball, and the blownup pig’s bladder, popular with children as a balloon ever since the Middle Ages. Carl Spitzweg (1808–1885) Kite Flying, ca. 1880/85 Oil on cardboard, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Alte Nationalgalerie Some children have gathered in the afternoon sun to play on Munich’s Theresienwiese meadow. Everyone’s attention is drawn to a young boy flying a kite, already quite a height above them. The vertical format, two thirds full of sky, further emphasises just how high the kite is flying. Here, avoiding any allusions to fairy-tales or humorous anecdotes, Carl Spitzweg dedicates the entire foreground to the children’s game. Pedestal Daphne Wright (born 1963) Sons, 2011 Polychromed white resin, Courtesy of the artist and Frith Street Gallery, London In this sculpture, Daphne Wright captures the fleeting transition between childhood and adolescence. The casts of the bodies of her two sons are inscribed with their discomfort in making the work. Wright then treated the resin casts with plaster and pigment to produce a near ghost-like skin colour. Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (1714–1785) Boy with a Cage and Dead Bird, 1749 Limestone, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Skulpturensammlung und Museum für Byzantinische Kunst The little bird lies lifeless next to its open cage. The naked little boy may well have opened the cage to play with the bird, and it died trying to escape. Without comprehending the tragic event, the boy looks innocently. In the Enlightenment, the motif of a bird often represent the loss of innocence; here it symbolises childhood in a general sense.
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