This oil painting depicts a young child seated atop a wheeled hobby horse. The child wears a light-colored, ruffled outfit with a stiff, tan-colored collar and a small brown hat featuring a reddish feather. Their expression is direct and calm as they grip the reins of the toy. The toy horse itself is cream-colored with a white mane and tail, mounted on a three-wheeled metal frame with prominent dark-blue spokes.
The subject is positioned in profile, centered in the mid-ground against a lush, dark green garden setting. The background is filled with dense, indistinct foliage and patches of vibrant orange-red flowers, suggesting a summer landscape. The child and their toy traverse a pale, sandy-colored path that occupies the bottom portion of the composition, providing a clean ground plane.
The brushwork is textured and impressionistic, characterized by loose, visible strokes that define light and shadow rather than sharp details. The lighting is soft and diffused, typical of an overcast day or shaded garden, casting subtle shadows under the wheels. The palette is dominated by earthy greens and creams, accented by the deep blue of the wheels and the pops of color from the flowers, creating a serene and nostalgic mood. The signature and date, "Claude Monet 1872," are visible in the bottom right corner.