This painting was executed in 1897 when Hassam and his wife were in France on their third visit. During these last years of the 1890s, Hassam was painting his finest works. Generally, the Hassams stayed close to Paris, with brief visits to their friends at Villiers-le-Bel and an extended trip to Pont-Aven in Brittany where this canvas was executed. Exactly how long the Hassams stayed in Pont-Aven is unknown, but in his recent monograph on Hassam, Ulrich Heisinger suggests that it must have been at least several months, because the artist completed at least a dozen substantial canvases of the town and the local inhabitants.

This canvas exhibits many of the qualities that make Hassam's work of the 1890s so succesful. The palette is light and impressionistic, and the brushstrokes and paint handling highlight the artist's freedom and inspiration during this period.

This painting will be included in Stuart P. Feld's and Kathleen M. Burnside's forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Hassam's work.