Children Playing on the Beach
1884
Mary Cassatt captures a fleeting, sun-drenched moment of childhood innocence in this Impressionist masterpiece. Two little girls in matching white dresses sit on the sand; one is fiercely focused on digging in a blue bucket, while the other, sporting a wide-brimmed straw hat with a bold red ribbon, gazes out at the sailboats on the horizon. Cassatt, an American expatriate in Paris, was a vital part of the Impressionist circle and famously painted the private lives of women and children with a fresh, modern eye. The loose, visible brushstrokes make the scene feel like a candid snapshot, freezing a perfect summer day forever.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: Art Institute of Chicago
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