The painting shows three young men, probably Matisse's sons and nephew, playing a game of Boules.
The Confédération Mondiale des Sports de Boules (CMSB) is the international organization, recognized by the International Olympic Committee, which governs the sport of the boules.
The village has the usual sporting recreational areas of cricket, football, bowls and tennis, but more interesting, it has a boules pitch which is used for competition with its twinned town of La Murette in France.