Vache dans un Pré dates from a period of considerable upheaval in Gauguin's life. At the end of 1883 he gave up the steady salaried life of the Paris stock exchange and moved to Rouen, declaring that he resolved to devote all his time to painting. So began years of hardship as he struggled to support himself and his family from the proceeds of his work. By July of that year his wife and children had departed for Denmark. In their absence, only too aware of the necessity of selling his paintings in the face of mounting financial pressure, and in the knowledge that dealers like Durand-Ruel had more clients for landscapes than any other genre, Gauguin devoted all his energies to landscape painting.

In terms of style, early works such as Vache dans un Pré, clearly show how thoroughly Gauguin had absorbed Impressionism. The cut-off view, the close foreground, and the accented brushstrokes all bespeak of Impressionism; in subject one can also feel the influence of Gauguin's mentor, Camille Pissarro.

Early as it is, Vache dans un Pré shows Gauguin gaining in confidence and skill and discovering his own distinctive artistic vocabulary away from the obvious influences of impressionism. His characteristic bright palette is already in evidence. The rich greens of the verdant landscape, punctuated by shades of yellow and orange, with darker hues behind, anticipate his later works. There may also be touches of Cézanne here as Gauguin had purchased two landscapes by the artist in 1883 and greatly admired his work.