In this small image, Denis created a clever layering of the girl, spotted cow, golden wheat field, waves, and distant shore. Typical of the Pont-Aven style, their rolling lines and rounded shapes assume decorative patterns. Taking liberties with color, Denis rendered the girl's coiffe in pink rather than white.

Denis was also a theoretician of painting, and this canvas embodies his most famous observation: Remember that a painting, before being a battle horse, a nude woman, or some anecdote - is essentially a flat surface covered with colors assembled in a certain order.