Children on the Beach

Joaquín Sorolla painted this Children on the Beach in 1910, the culmination of his series depicting boys at the seashore. Three nude children lie face down in the shallow surf, their skin glistening in the Mediterranean sun. The closest boy lies on dry sand with matte white highlights; the middle boy, partially submerged, reflects light more intensely; the third boy, fully wet, gleams with luminous highlights.

Sorolla painted this during a productive three-month stay in Valencia between June and September 1909, though he signed and dated it 1910. He used very broad brushstrokes in turquoise, blue, violet, and mauve to capture the water's movement around their bodies.

The motif of nude children in sunlight had interested earlier Spanish artists including Mariano Fortuny and Ignacio Pinazo. Sorolla made it his signature subject. This painting is at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, measuring 118 x 185 cm.