In 1875, after studying at the Royal Academy in Stockholm, Anna Nordgren went to Paris, where she completed her studies at the Académie Julian. During her eight years in France, she also exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon. This painting is typical of her imagery. The motif, with the boy in simple clothes and the grey, misty landscape, shows distinct influences from French Naturalism. In the 1880s, Nordgren moved to London. She stayed in England until the late 1890s, when she returned to Sweden.