The scene is probably set in Bougival, just outside of Paris, where Boldini went several times to paint. In a letter addressed to Signorini in 1877, Boldini writes of his intention to stay in Bougival for three months, and could therefore have painted this picture during that period. Monet and Renoir had found motives to paint in the same surroundings, earning it the moniker “the cradle of Impressionism,” and while their works are now famous, at that time they were valued far less than Boldini’s
[Sotheby’s, New York - Oil on canvas, 30 x 47 cm]