Playtime – Play in Art
11.10.2026 - 10.01.2027 ,
Museum Georg Schäfer (Museum Georg Schäfer)
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A comprehensive thematic exhibition focuses on play in the 19th century through a display of paintings, drawings and photographs. The range of subjects depicted extends from somersaults to sport, from card games to skittles, and from children’s circle dances to village church fairs. Although adults also played, art focused particularly on children as members of the middle classes engaged in play. Alongside images with educational intentions, there are also scenes of pure mischief and joy – whether fishing, dancing or ice-skating. Play, as a scenic narrative, enjoyed great popularity within genre painting. It is often forgotten that animals at play were also depicted as participants. Graphic art, however, departs from this mostly carefree, idyllic visual realm; it also reveals the harsh side of play, hinting, for example, at the blurred boundaries with child labour and gambling addiction. Caricatures presented a completely different aspect when play and its participants were elevated to a political level or transformed into social satire.
Last edited on 28.09.2026
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