Mary Cassatt skillfully and accurately conveyed the natural attitudes and mannerisms of girls in “Children Playing on the Beach.” Their intense concentration and endearing awkwardness is expressed by the set of their shoulders, and by one toddler’s splayed feet and clumsy grip on her shovel and bucket. Cassatt (1844 – 1926) emphasized surface patterns by repeating the accents of dark blue dresses under white pinafores. Her brushstrokes created solid areas of color as they followed the contours of the girls’ arms, legs and heads. The background seascape melts into a diffused haze, as the girls become the painting’s focal point.

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