Children on the Seashore

The painting of Children on the seashore was done by Sorolla back in 1903. Its original title was Ninos a la orilla del mar. The artist hails from Spain. Just like most of his works, he embraces the social theme in this painting.

He embraced the impressionist style in this piece of work. The painting measures 130.5 cm by 96.2 cm. He applied used loose brush-stroke and light to bring out all the features of this painting. Besides, he used the medium of oil on canvas. The painting is currently located in Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, US. The painting is made up of children with happy faces as they enjoy the environment at the beach. It captures the sunlight and the bodies of these children as they play in the water. All those in the water are completely naked. Given the loose brushstroke, Sorolla depicts a clear interaction of the sun on the wet skins of the children.

The painting has five children. The others are naked while one of them is dressed and standing. The fact that they are naked depicts that this was a regular occurrence in the past where there were no swimming costumes. Some are lying on their stomachs, and they are in contact with both water and mud in the Mediterranean Sea. Also, the artist depicts their different characteristics in his brushwork. All of them has blonde hair. Also, the dressed-up child is female and seems older than the rest of them. the one close to the shore appears to be watching his shadow on the water as he supports himself with his palms. The boy close to him seems to be smiling while the others are indifferent about the scene as they look engrossed to the effects of water, mud, and sun on his skin.

Additionally, the artist captures both the shadows and the reflection of the bodies of the children in the water as they lie there. Given his talent, Sorolla embraced the impressionist style and prided himself in capturing different moments in the human environment. This painting depicts his realist technique. His inspiration for the art was as a result of his love for the effect of the sun on the objects on earth. This explains why he included the shadows and the reflection in the painting. The painting gives an impression of relaxation and happiness. Thus, it depicts a happy mood among the children. This is supplemented by a peaceful environment that is associated with beaches.