This riverbank scene of about 1875 was shown in the 1877 Impressionist exhibition, where it was admired by the critic Georges Rivière, who wrote: "It is strikingly majestic and extraordinarily calm. It seems that the scene takes place in [Cézanne's] memory while he turns the pages of his life." The present picture represented a departure from the oppressive and often turbulent quality of the artist's earlier fantasy landscapes. The artist's use of a brighter, high-keyed palette for this sunlit scene of fishermen and elegantly attired strollers on the banks of a river reflected his contact with Impressionist artists, in particular, his working out-of-doors with Pissarro in Pontoise.

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