Children playing soldiers

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 and depicting 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 children’s unbridled strength and vigor.

Children Playing Soldiers is set on a hill on the outskirts of Castile, with a medieval castle in the background of the composition. It depicts a game rooted in the children’s customs and imagination, as they imitate adults. The children have managed to make their own uniforms from the adults’ old clothes, and sashes and caps from paper; they use reeds as weapons. In the center of the composition, a boy portrays a king surrounded by his vassals; one even kneels before him, while to his right, the “soldiers” march with their reeds. A baby appears at the bottom of the composition.