Charles Fremont was working in France during the second half of the 19th century, specialising in romantic and genre groups. The present charming group is inspired by the celebrated painting L'Agréable Leçon of 1748 by François Boucher. Its popularity was such that it was engraved by R. Gaillard and also translated into a three-dimensional form for Sèvres in 1752 by an anonymous sculptor and entitled Le Fluteur. Fremont appears to have been aware of the Sèvres model, rather than the original Boucher painting, for he includes the dog and the laced bodice, neither of which appear in the original. It is unusual to find a sculptor transforming a small-scale porcelain work into a large marble group, though the bozzetti created for Sèvres, by 18th century sculptors such as Falconet and Boizot, were a great source of inspiration to later sculptors. By concentrating the composition on the figures and by transferring the flute to the shepherd Fremont has successfully created a monumental image, while maintaining the romantic theme.