Although children are the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to games, we encounter with games in all areas of the life in the adult world. The toy, on the other hand, is the objective dimension of the game and takes place in our lives as an imitation of a real being or as simple objects attributed with meanings. Game opens a free space for the player besides the existing world. Toys as game objects are not only personal items in this free space, they also reflect the cultural, economic, political and technological state of their eras in every aspect. When we consider art as a reflection of the culture, the image of games and toys in the art history is more associated with children. The meanings attributed to toys were parallel with the perspective towards the children in every period. The toy as an object first appears in European painting in the 15th century. Along with humanism, the developing bourgeoisie, subsequent scientific and technological advances, family life and values given to children naturally changed the point of view on toys. The rapidly changing world with the wars in the 20th century turned the toy into a mass-produced industrial product, which encouraged consumption culture. Thus, the toys detached from their original context and started serving as an intermediary in the transformation and the manipulation of societies in the hands of the cultural industry, social and political propaganda and capitalism. In this context, the toy object that is the subject of painting is a document witnessing the history. The aim of this study is to examine the visibility of the toy, which is the subject of European painting from the Renaissance to the modern period, in the history and to discuss the effect of cultural differences related to time and space on the toys through art.

Keywords : Game, toy, children, culture, art