Children's games and fun 150 years ago

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Historically, the game has come into our lives from the depths of centuries. Moreover, there are games that are played in the same way according to the same rules all over the world. And, probably, it is impossible to find a person who has not played hide and seek, classics, catch-up (tag) or football in childhood, regardless of which country, which continent he lives and what language he speaks.

There are no geographic boundaries for games. Today's gallery of genre paintings by artists from different countries is a vivid confirmation of this. You will be surprised that almost all of these games that children played 100-150 years ago are familiar to you from childhood.

Sophie Jengembre Anderson (1823-1903). England. Bonfire.

Artists, like no one else, possessing a special vision of the surrounding world and its spiritual perception, could not pass by this fascinating and burning topic. On their canvases, we can contemplate funny kids, touchingly trying to imitate adults through games.

The history of the development of the game

Heinrich Hirt. Germany (1841-1902). Young seamstresses.

Historical facts irrefutably prove that humanity has been playing games since ancient times. Once everything began with ritual games, which over time, in the process of civilization development, became more complex and diverse. Games were invented and entered into people's lives on almost any topic - war, love, motherhood, fantasy, history, travel, as well as gambling and survival games (gladiator fights and Russian roulette).

Charles Courtney Curran. America. (1861-1942) Party. 1919 year.

Since ancient times, play has primarily been a form of education, and therefore children have been introduced to it from an early age, who, thus, have been taught skills for creativity, work, caring for others, entrepreneurship and much more. The game is still considered a kind of primary school of real life for the younger generation. It is in her that human qualities are manifested, both negative and positive, the abilities and talents of babies, with whom they later enter adulthood.

Albert Edelfelt. In the Luxembourg Gardens.

And mankind was fully aware of the fact that play is inseparable from real life at the dawn of its development. “I say and affirm that a person who wants to become outstanding in any business should practice from an early age … For example, who wants to become good as a farmer or house-builder, he must either cultivate the land in games, or build some kind of children's structures,”wrote Plato, who lived in 427 - 347 BC.

Théophile Emmanuel Duverger (1821-1886). France. Chorus of children in the sacristy.

Our whole life is a game

It's no secret that children start playing from the moment they are born. Growing up and developing, their games become more complicated and better. And over time, games that are vital in childhood become entertainment and communication in their free time for adults. One way or another, this type of activity always accompanies a person throughout his life.

Antoni Kozakevich (1841-1929). Poland. Outside. 1891-1892

It is through play that children learn the world in which they live, reflecting in it what they see around them: they imitate adults depending on the gender to which the child belongs: divide labor into “male” and “female”, behave like “dad "And" mom "," son "or" daughter ", or they imitate the work activity of their parents.

Ferdinand de Brackeleer (1792-1883). Belgium. Children play in front of the house.

And what's interesting is that most of the games in different countries, with some differences, have a lot in common. All children at a certain age study objects with great interest: by touching them, tasting them, examining them from different angles, they begin to imagine that the thing that fell into their hands is something different from what it really is. And this is due to the fact that in all these games there is a single psychophysiological nature.

Charles Hunt (1803-1877). England. Scene in Hamlet. 1868 year.

William Henry Knight (1823-1863). England. Rivalry with the blond. 1862 g.

Antonio Paoletti. (1834 - 1912). Italy. Zhmurki.

The blind man's buff is probably the most popular game in the whole world.

André Henri Dargelas (1828-1906). France. A party for great adventures.

August Malmstrom (1829-1901). Sweden. Singing children in the stable.

John George Brown (1831-1913). England. Picnic in the woods.

Winslow Homer (1836-1910). America. "Whip". 1872 year.

Charles Bertrand d'Entragues (1850-1929). France.

Charles Bertrand d'Entreig (1850-1929). France. Young magician.

Ralph Headley (1851-1913). England. Tournament.

Eric Theodore Werenskiold (1855-1938). Norway.

Caroline van Derse (1860-1932). Denmark. Adult games.

Karl Hartmann (1861-1927). Germany. Open air concert.

Bob Beyrle (born 1941). America. Bag racing.

Bob Beyrle (born 1941). America. Hot dog roast.

Yes, what can we say about the artists of the last century, depicting little children playing various games, when about 500 years ago, the famous Dutch painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder wrote an amazing encyclopedia painting on which he depicted about a hundred games. Take a closer look, most of them are probably familiar to you. Are you surprised? That's the same!

"Games for children". (1560). Author: Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

An excellent gallery of pictures of playing children. Is not it? We see live communication in which knowledge is exchanged - from older children to younger ones, we see excitement, interest, purpose and the desire to be better than others. And this brings them delight, happiness, joy, and sometimes disappointment and resentment - just like in real adult life.

But unfortunately, in our time, the game, as such in its essence, has moved into the virtual plane. We began to get used to the fact that live communication among children began to be replaced by a virtual one. And who knows how much modern kids, playing these games, will be prepared for the harsh realities of life.