From his early training in Paris (under Canadian Impressionist painter James Wilson Morrice), Kelly was encouraged to sketch frequently en plein air. For this purpose he used small prepared wooden panels and was especially skilled at allowing the natural colour of the wooden panel to add luminosity to the painting. The setting is likely to be French, possibly the Isle-de-France. A panel of comparable size is in the collection of theTate.

We are grateful to Michael Barker for his assistance.