Philippe Ariès’s ‘Discovery of Childhood’: imagery and historical evidence

Abstract

Philippe Ariès’s Centuries of Childhood is now over fifty years old, but it holds its place as a pioneering study of childhood, education and the family. Furthermore, Ariès’s use of images continues to attract comment. This article reflects on the place of visual material in Aries's narrative, subsequent criticism, and more recent work in the field by both historians and art historians. Building on an important discussion of the same subject by Anthony Burton, published in 'Continuity and Change' in 1989, it explores ongoing issues around the role of images as evidence for the histories of children and childhood