Frances Mary Hodgkins (1869-1947) was a New Zealand painter chiefly of landscape, and for a short period was a designer of textiles. Born in Dunedin, she was educated at Dunedin School of Art, then became an art teacher, earning money to study in England.

In this painting, we see a family at the beach against a background of colourful beach tents and beach huts. The bright colours and movement of the brush strokes suggest sun and wind, evoking a sense of the British seaside.