Negro Boys on the Quayside

David Norslup

National Gallery of Art

The painting depicts four boys, sitting or leaning against boxes, a wooden platform, and a stone wall. The boy on the left is sitting on the wooden platform, leaning back with his legs crossed, and wearing a blue shirt, brown pants, and a wide-brimmed hat. Next to him, standing on the same platform and sitting on stacked boxes, are two of the other boys. One of these boys is wearing light-colored trousers and a buttoned-up vest underneath a light-colored jacket. The other boy stands slightly behind him, dressed in a red shirt, a dark vest, and a dark jacket, with a brown hat. The last boy, standing to the right and leaning against a low stone wall, is wearing dark-blue trousers, a brown jacket, and a wide-brimmed straw hat. All of the boys have brown skin and short, dark hair. The background showcases a bustling harbor scene with numerous docked sailing ships, buildings, and equipment, all under a pale gray sky.