Both the present watercolours post-date Clausen's move to Widdington in 1891, and no doubt show local views. Comparable studies are in the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Birmingham Art Gallery and the Eton College Collection.
Clausen began his career as an English follower of Jules Bastien-Lepage. The Girl at the Gate (Tate Gallery), exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1890 and bought for the Chantrey Bequest, is probably the best-known example. Following his move to Widdington, not far from Saffron Walden in Essex, the following year, he developed a more lyrical style, with greater emphasis on atmosphere and movement. The influence of J.F. Millet is often apparent.