Children Playing on the Beach

Coastal subjects are unusual in Cassatt's work. This painting is associated with the period after a trip to Spain with her ailing mother in 1884. X-rays reveal extensive studio revisions. The apparently spontaneous scene emerged through sustained choices about poses and the figures' relationship.

A child bends over a small bucket. Head and hands turn toward the same activity.

The second child turns away. Their different positions preserve separate activities beside one another.

A red band crosses the straw hat. The bright color sets it apart from pale sand and clothing.

A wooden shovel lies diagonally across the child's lap. Its direction connects the toys with the hands' position.

Tiny sailboats appear in the distance. Their scale establishes the sea beyond a foreground occupied almost entirely by children.

X-rays show that Cassatt substantially revised the work. Its appearance of a casually observed moment therefore has a carefully prepared basis. She preserved the scene's liveliness through numerous studio decisions.