A broad stretch of pale sand runs along the bottom of the picture, dotted with tiny figures. Some walk hand in hand, some lie on towels, and others sit under striped umbrellas. A few swimmers bob in the shallows just beyond the line of small white waves.

The sea is a deep slate blue under a hazy sky, with flat-edged clouds stacked along the horizon. Shapes are simplified and the colours are restrained, so the mood is quiet and unhurried, like an easy afternoon at the shore.