A nude adolescent stands in profile at the water’s edge, his head shaded by a wide straw hat, leading a white horse out of the sea with a rope held in both hands. The boy’s body catches the sunlight, casting a strong shadow on the wet sand, while the horse’s pale coat reflects the blue and gold tones of the beach and sky. Rippling water surrounds their feet, painted in loose, fluid brushstrokes that capture the movement of the surf and the shimmer of sunlight on the surface.

Behind them, the sea stretches into the distance, its intense blue punctuated by several sailboats to the right and, to the left, oxen pulling a boat along the shore. The composition places the figures close to the lower edge, with the horse’s large form dominating the right side and the adolescent’s slender figure leading the viewer’s gaze along the shoreline. The painting’s palette is bright and naturalistic, with creamy whites, soft ochres, and vivid blues blending together in broad, confident strokes.

Sorolla’s brushwork is visible throughout, especially in the highlights on the horse’s back and the sparkling reflections in the water, giving the scene a sense of immediacy and freshness. Small details, such as the twist of the rope in the boy’s hand and the glistening wetness on the horse’s legs, reveal the artist’s close observation and technical skill. The figures’ gestures are relaxed and natural: the boy walks barefoot, his posture casual, while the horse steps forward with its head lowered, both absorbed in the simple act of leaving the sea. The Horse’s Bath was painted by Joaquín Sorolla in 1909.

The Museo Sorolla describes the scene as a bathing moment on the beach, with the adolescent and horse emerging from the water, and notes the presence of boats and oxen in the background as part of the iconography. The Horse’s Bath has appeared in major exhibitions, including the 2009 retrospective at the Museo Nacional del Prado and early twentieth-century shows in Chicago and Saint Louis, where it was titled 'El caballo blanco, Valencia.'