It is low tide on a cool autumn day and the beach is busy with traders and villagers, buying and selling, inspecting the wares and gossiping amongst themselves. All this activity is, however, the background setting to the figure of a young woman in characteristic local costume whom Thaddeus has presented in loving detail. The girl stands on the left hand side of the painting looking across in an amused way at the figure of a young lad with a shrimping net over his shoulder and a basket of shrimps in his hands. He seems to be crying his wares, and from the wide grin on his face, possibly adding some cheeky remarks. The atmosphere of light-hearted banter is lowered as one becomes aware of an old woman chestnut seller kneeling in the bottom right foreground.