Study for the Boys Playing on the Shore 1884

Albert Edelfelt, a Finnish painter, created this oil sketch called 'Study for the Boys Playing on the Shore', sometime in the late 19th century. Edelfelt was a realist painter, but what kind of reality was he invested in showing us? This work depicts two boys at play, and we might read it through the lens of childhood innocence and leisure. But who gets to have such innocent leisure? During Edelfelt’s time, traditional gender roles were firmly in place. Boys, especially those from privileged backgrounds, were encouraged to engage in outdoor activities, fostering a sense of freedom and adventure, while girls were often confined to more domestic settings. The way Edelfelt captures the light on their skin evokes a sense of carefree joy. Yet, one might wonder, whose stories are left out of this idyllic scene? What about the children who had to work to support their families? Ultimately, this painting invites us to consider whose experiences are immortalized in art and how those representations shape our understanding of the past. It asks us to think about what is visible, as well as what remains unseen.