Images of Childhood : A Visual History from Stone to Screen

Paul Duncum

ISBN 10: 1350299936 / ISBN 13: 9781350299931

Published by Bloomsbury Academic Aug 2023, 2023

About this Item

Neuware - Drawing on a rich legacy of pictorial evidence, Images of Childhood examines historical constructions of childhood and how they reinforce or challenge the prevailing view of childhood as a state of innocence.Each chapter explores how visual elements such as framing, points-of view, and lighting, as well as clothes, accessories, and body language, help to construct our many different conceptions of children: from members of the family unit and assumed gender roles; to schooling and aesthetic objects; through to their economic value and use in political propaganda.Skillfully navigating a multitude of perspectives on this topic, Paul Duncum considers both how our ideas, beliefs and values have changed throughout history and how some have remained unchanged. He also explores the cultural notion of 'the child within' and how this has contributed to the way adults perceive children. The result is a text far broader in scope than any other in its field, as art history is interweaved with contemporary popular culture to explore how we visually represent childhood. In doing so, the book highlights the real-life implications that these representations have on children's rights.

Seller Inventory # 9781350299931

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Images of Childhood : A Visual History from Stone to Screen
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic Aug 2023
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1350299936
• ISBN 13: 9781350299931
• Binding: Buch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 248W x 186H x 20D millimeters 248 millimeters width by 186 millimeters height by 20 millimeters depth
• Weight: 975 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Drawing on a rich legacy of pictorial evidence, Images of Childhood examines historical constructions of childhood and how they reinforce or challenge the prevailing view of childhood as a state of innocence.

Each chapter explores how visual elements such as framing, points-of view, and lighting, as well as clothes, accessories, and body language, help to construct our many different conceptions of children: from members of the family unit and assumed gender roles; to schooling and aesthetic objects; through to their economic value and use in political propaganda.

Skillfully navigating a multitude of perspectives on this topic, Paul Duncum considers both how our ideas, beliefs and values have changed throughout history and how some have remained unchanged. He also explores the cultural notion of “the child within” and how this has contributed to the way adults perceive children. The result is a text far broader in scope than any other in its field, as art history is interweaved with contemporary popular culture to explore how we visually represent childhood. In doing so, the book highlights the real-life implications that these representations have on children's rights.

About the Author

Paul Duncum is Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois, USA, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Tasmania, Australia.