'Beach Scene', probably 1868-77
by Degas
London, The National Gallery

The 'Beach Scene' suggests the idea of a holiday or a journey, and a day out at the beach. It was not painted outdoors, but in the artist's studio. This raises the importance of the imagination and how we can think about a place where we would like to be. The idea of going to the beach is a very familiar one, but items like the swimming costume laid out in the foreground are very different from such garments today. There are several little incidents to notice in the painting which suggest stories, like the encounter between the man and the woman.

Click here to view work from the 2005 exhibition, inspired by this painting.

© The National Gallery, London

PREVIOUS PICTURES

'Still Life with Drinking-Horn'

'The Family of Darius before Alexander'

'Tobias and the Angel'

'The Umbrellas'

'The Fighting Temeraire'

'An Autumn Landscape with a View of Het Steen in the Early Morning'

'Two Boys and a Girl making Music'

'The Marquise de Seignelay and Two of her Sons'

'Beach Scene'

'The Stonemason's Yard'

'Saint George and the Dragon'

'Bacchus and Ariadne'

'The Graham Children'

'The Hay Wain'

'Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba'

'The Castle of Muiden in Winter'

'The Ambassadors'

'The Wilton Diptych'