Children’s room

Portraits of children found their way into Serbian art with the rise of the bourgeoisie in the 19^th century. However, the earliest depictions are devoid of the typical characteristics of childhood. They show no free movement, no curious gazes, no play or toys. The children are painted after the portraits of adults, in the roles they are expected to play in society when they grow up. Serious boys dressed in suits, holding a book which serves to emphasize the importance of education for a bright future. Little girls in corset dresses or urban attire, holding flowers – symbols of tenderness and charm. The change in social circumstances and the emergence of modernity in 20^th-century art resulted in depictions of children in nature and at home, cavorting, learning or playing.

The children’s room, in addition to its interactive and educational role for the youngest, offers the opportunity for everyone else to look at this phenomenon in a different way.