Images of Childhood

Anchored by respect for children and by compelling imagery, Paul Duncum comprehensively and captivatingly interrogates multiple and contradictory discourses that generate both personal and public conceptions of childhood. * Marissa McClure, Professor of Art Education, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA; Associate Editor, Childhood Art: An International Journal of Research * Images convey so much more than we realize. This extraordinary and seminal text will surely expand, enrich, even interrogate, one’s conceptions of what childhood has meant across history, cultural studies and psychology. * Rita L. Irwin, Distinguished University Scholar and Professor, Art Education, The University of British Columbia, Canada * Deconstructing childhood imagery and its ideologies, this book outlines the different ways of understanding infancy throughout history. Gender, abuse, victimization, and commoditization are some of the issues the author reveals through a wide array of historical images. * Cesar Peña, Professor, School of Architecture & Design, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia * Examining the trope of childhood innocence that permeates representations of children throughout Western history, this engaging text highlights the role images play in shaping our conceptions of childhood and our enduring cultural ambivalence toward children. * Christine Marmé Thompson, Professor Emerita, Penn State University School of Visual Arts, USA *