Thomas Anshutz began his summer excursions to Holly Beach, New Jersey, around 1894, and there he painted many beachside scenes. In this painting, slight underdrawing is visible through the paint, suggesting that he sketched and painted it first, and then painted the second version with some minor changes. The subject of young boys playing by the sea had previously been explored by Winslow Homer, but Anshutz’s decision to depict the children in the nude was an unusually bold choice for a painter working in the conservative environment of late Victorian America.