The cover. Portrait of Dorothy (Dorothy Williamson).

摘要

Affluent European and American parents were eager to have Sargent paint their children's portraits, and they willingly paid his extravagant fees. At the turn of the 20th century, children were perceived as having a new and special status in society. They were no longer thought of as larval adults who required improvement to be of value but as individuals who were entitled to be healthy and happy. Professional and business interests responded to the cultural reevaluation of childhood by establishing pediatric specialties in medicine and psychiatry and marketing consumer goods for children. The status of working-class children also improved. New labor laws reduced the number of younger children in the workforce, altering their status from financial assets to dependents.