With the River Seine easily navigable by large vessels for the forty-four miles between the sea (at Le Havre) and Rouen, it was only to be expected that the city would prosper as it became established as the principal port for Paris. Proximity to the capital's markets ensured an enduring prosperity and its busy wharves and quaysides became the frequent haunts of painters from many different schools.

Richard Henry Nibbs of Brighton was one such artist and this work is believed to be the one included in an auction of his pictures held at Brighton in 1875 and mentioned in the short monograph on Nibbs by Henry Smith which accompanies the lot.