Children in the Mauritshuis

Paintings depicting children endear themselves to museum visitors time and again. The Mauritshuis has a wealth of paintings in which children play a leading role: from the beaming grin of Frans Hals' Laughing Boy to the moving portrait of a Girl by a High Chair by Govert Flinck, the child is well represented in the museum. This whimsically designed book aimed at a broad readership gives all the particulars about these paintings in an accessible manner. Detailed attention is also given to the cultural historical background of the seventeenth century child, as by the time of the Golden Age family life, child rearing and education were already considered extremely important. This was reflected in the way children were portrayed, not only in portraits but also in scenes from everyday life. This is the fourth in a series of books highlighting outstanding aspects of the Mauritshuis Collection.