Boys playing soldiers
1778 Museo del Prado
About this artwork
This oil painting depicts three young boys engaged in imaginative military play under the shade of a tree. It was created by Goya as a cartoon for a tapestry intended for the dining room of the Prince and Princess of Asturias at the El Pardo Palace.
Did you know?
This painting was part of a series of tapestry cartoons commissioned to decorate the royal palaces in Madrid. Goya brought a sense of naturalism and vitality to the tradition of tapestries, capturing fleeting moments of childhood innocence that were a sharp contrast to the more rigid, formal portraits expected by the court. The playful scene serves as a charming glimpse into the pastimes of children in late 18th-century Spain.
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Boys playing soldiers
Francisco Goya, 1778
