Children on the Beach
1873 National Gallery of Art
About this artwork
This oil on canvas depicts four young boys wearing straw hats relaxing by a coastal scene with sailing ships in the background. It is a quintessential work from Homer's period of focus on leisure and childhood themes.
Did you know?
Winslow Homer spent the summer of 1873 in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where he produced a series of watercolor and oil paintings depicting local children and the sea. This work captures the idyllic, carefree spirit of American seaside life in the late 19th century, a subject that would eventually lead Homer to transition from popular illustrations to his more serious, later maritime masterpieces.
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Children on the Beach
Winslow Homer, 1873
