In 1857 Daubigny began to travel the rivers of France in a studio-boat, painting small landscapes such as this one directly from nature. In contrast to other Barbizon School artists, Daubigny habitually treated his oil sketches as finished works, a practice which Impressionist painters would also adopt.

This loosely brushed view of the River Oise, north of Paris, has the immediacy of direct observation. With its transparent atmosphere and poetic mood, the tranquil scene is typical of Daubigny's approach.