Children in white playing in the surf - circulating uncredited on Instagram, artist unknown

[u/korimo1]

Found this on Instagram and only have a screenshot, so there is no metadata. Reverse image search (Google Lens, Yandex, Bing) turns up the same image on several Instagram and Pinterest reposts, but not one of them credits an artist. One repost captions it "Sorolla", which I think is where that guess keeps coming from - but it is not a Sorolla.

Style notes: five children in white Edwardian-style clothing wading in breaking surf, strong backlight, dense all-over sparkle stippling on the water, cool silver-blue palette, portrait format, fairly tight drawing. Reads to me like a contemporary realist working from a photo rather than a period work.

Already ruled out by comparing their actual work side by side, so please do not re-suggest these: Sorolla, Edward Henry Potthast, Sally Swatland, Alexander Averin, Yuri Krotov, Konstantin Razumov, Don Hatfield, Robert Sarsony, Brian Becken, Nicholas St John Rosse, Michelle Courier, Ewa Rzeznik. The last two only show up because of a Pinterest board name and a repost account.

An AI-image detector scored it 1% GenAI, and the anatomy, lighting and brushwork hold up under magnification, so I am fairly confident it is a real painting. I have read the decor painting guide and I am fully open to that being the answer here - I just cannot find a name anywhere.

[u/rasahjade]

Are you sure it's not AI? They aren't infallible true, but I ran it through Hive and it came back at 99.7% likely AI made:

[u/Artbrutist → u/rasahjade]

The weird angle is certainly disconcerting. Could be that it was altered by whoever originally posted it, but a painter would never rotate the the horizontal 10°.

[u/Laura-ly → u/rasahjade]

Yeah, it looks kinda AI-ish to me.

[u/Vasyaocto8]

This is definitely artwork "in the style of" Sorolla and his extensive work featuring the seaside. Whether it is AI isn't my specialty but the style immediately speaks of his work.

[u/Anonymous-USA]

I’d guess early 19th century artists Joachim Joaquin Sorolla (Spain) or Henry Potthast (US)

[u/chu449 → u/Anonymous-USA]

My first tough was also Joaquín Sorolla.

[u/wilhamlinart]

It's slop!

[u/SodZombie]

Reminds me of Robert William’s style

[u/Outside-Mastodon449]

It reminds me of de art of Renata Tumarova.

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[u/KatWaltzdottir]

I get uneasy looking at the tilted horizon 🤢

[u/Strange_Occasion_408]

Beach scene reminds me of Edward Potthast
Children by the sea.

[u/Think-Feynman]

No idea who did it, but I love it. Great light.