Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, Children playing Marbles

Lot description

Monogrammed and dated upper centre: CvH. 1636 A group of ten children, some standing, others crouching or sitting, appear to be engrossed in a game of marbles in or behind a courtyard. Some of the children are naked, while others wear loose garments. In the background, a wall or building ruin with an opening reveals a view of a blue sky. The atmosphere is playful and carefree. This painting, created in 1636, along with other depictions of children’s activities—such as Children Playing Dice, Children Playing with a Dog, and Children Playing with a Cat—became especially prominent in the artist’s work following the birth of his grandson Cornelis Bega in 1631/32—perhaps coincidentally. Although the subject is now classified under the genre category, Cornelis van Haarlem originally conceived these childhood depictions as part of religious histories and allegories. Nevertheless, he approached the theme in his own way, rendering it in slightly humorous scenes. An influence from Dirck Hals, Jan Miense Molenaer, and Judith Leyster—who counted children among their favourite models—cannot be ruled out. He was also likely familiar with the widespread depictions of children in 17th-century emblematic art, where children often symbolised particular values, virtues, or vices, such as innocence or allegories of childish ignorance and the joy of play.