British painter Dorothea Sharp captures the joyful spirit of childhood in this enchanting seaside scene. Her mastery of the impressionistic style imbues her canvases with an almost dream-like sentimentality. In this work entitled A Summer Walk, her young subject embodies the carefree innocence of youth as he explores the rocky waterfront. Sharp's spontaneous, energetic brushstrokes and brilliant color add to the vitality of the scene, which perfectly conveys the waves crashing upon the shore, the gentle sea breeze and the warmth of the sun. Cheerful yet nostalgic, Sharp's touching tributes to childhood are some of the greatest ever composed.
Born in Kent in 1874, Sharp did not begin painting until the age of 21. After inheriting a small sum from an uncle, she enrolled first at the Richmond art school, and then at Regent Street Polytechnic. She studied for a short time in Paris, where she first discovered the work of Claude Monet and the Impressionists; the encounter would greatly influence her style for the rest of her life. She exhibited for the first time at the Royal Academy in 1901 and exhibited there often until a few years before her death. She held her first one-woman show at the Connell Gallery in 1933; the exhibition was such a success that she was lauded as "one of England's greatest living woman painters" by The Artist editor Harold Sawkins. Today her works continue to enjoy a universal appeal for their charming portrayals of children at play.