Giuseppe De Nittis (Italian, 1846–1884). Woman walking on the sand. Photo Credit: Alfredo Dagli Orti / The Art Archive at Art Resource, NY.

De Nittis' subject clearly is hesitant and has low balance confidence. Walking down the bank of sand is a challenging task; the surface is shifting beneath her as she places weight on each foot to negotiate the descent. By digging the parasol into the bank, she is trying to broaden her base of support to improve her overall stability and avoid a fall; but if the sand is too soft….