Many of the Swedish artists who went to France made their way to Normandy. They were influenced by the style of painting represented by Charles-François Daubigny. The wind, the skies and the tide provided forever new painterly challenges. In their striving for realism, they sought subjects such as the dry seabed with seaweed, as though trying to distance themselves from anything that could be perceived as beauty. In their seascapes, the artists often portrayed people gathering mussels. This task was both harsh and hazardous. It was often performed by women and children.