Sailors' Wives

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen

National Gallery of Art

The image depicts a group of women and children standing on a stone platform overlooking a body of water. The figures are shown from full-length, with the foremost woman holding an umbrella. She has blonde hair and is wearing a white bonnet, a black blouse, and an orange skirt with white floral patterns. Other women and children are dressed similarly in traditional clothing with dark colors and patterns, some wearing bonnets or headscarves. One child is cradled by an older woman with a headscarf. The background shows waves in the water and a softly colored sky.