Children searching for nest

Throughout his career, Goya painted several scenes featuring children. This series of six canvases, known as Children’s Games, has been preserved; these charming scenes, full of action and movement, depict the harsh lives of children from humble backgrounds 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.

This scene, set among roman ruins in Italy, features a pyramidal composition. Arranged in three groups, the first in the center, a group of children lifts one of their own so he can reach a hole in a buttress in search of nests. To the right of the composition, a group of children, one of them wearing a franciscan habit, hold a pole, which they intend to use to knock down the nests from above. And on the far left, the three youngest children play with the baby birds.