Children playing on a seesaw

Throughout his career, Goya painted several scenes featuring children. This series of six canvases has been preserved under the title Children’s Games, charming scenes full of action and movement, featuring children, which depict the harsh lives of poor children and the public’s indifference toward them. Three of the scenes in the series are set in Rome, Italy, and the other three in Spain. They showcase the unbridled strength and vigor of childhood.

In this composition, several groups of children are playing and fighting; on the left, three are riding a seesaw, one of them wearing a Franciscan habit. In the center of the composition, two pairs of children are facing off. Meanwhile, on the right, two children dressed as schoolboys are talking to each other and watching the scene. In the background, some children are watching the monkey perched on the wall to the right. Ruins visible in the background of the composition indicate that the scene is set in Rome.