Between 1890-1892 Munch painted a small number of works which were directly influenced by the Impressionists, in particular Monet and Degas. During this transitional period he visited France several times, and although the present composition was executed in Norway, it clearly shows the influence of Pissarro. Arne Eggum has written of the relationship between Munch's work and that of Pissarro, "Pissarro et lui étaient perçus commes des artistes 'impossibles' dont la particularité commune résidait dans leur touche pointilliste. Son 'étrange manière à la Pissarro' valut à Munch le surnom de 'Bissarro'" (see exh. cat. Munch et la France, Paris, 1991, p. 107).
"The countryside around the town of Asgardstrand near the west bank of the Oslo Fjord held an exceptional place in Munch's art. Munch was familiar with all its features: the gently undulating coastline and the large crown of Linden trees. He spent his first summer in Asgardstrand in 1889 and after several holidays there, he was able to immerse himself in the essence of the place in a way which made it a reflection of his own inner landscape, while simultaneously expressing the moods and feelings of an entire generation (Exh. cat. Edvard Munch, the Frieze of Life, London, 1992, p. 54).

The date of the present work has kindly been supplied by Arne Eggum of the Munch Museum, Oslo. Sold with a certificate from Johan Langaard, Director of the Oslo Kunstsamlinger dated Oslo, den 21 oktober 1960.