A member of the , Herpin was a pupil of Charles-François Daubigny (1817-1878) and one of the group of French painters who were precursors of Impressionism and who strove to defend landscape -which had fallen out of favour in previous years- from a naturalistic and realistic perspective.

This large-format realistic painting is a good example of the way of approaching landscape advocated by Gustave Courbet (1819-1877). The foreground is taken up by a large meadow with sheep grazing under the care of a shepherdess reminiscent of those painted by Jean-François Millet (1819-1875). The background, all the way up to the horizon line of the low sky, is filled with a broad valley, a river and houses that bring to mind Camille Corot (1796-1875).

Notwithstanding its simplicity, this painting conveys the delicate poetry of everyday life, with a silent intimate feeling of undeniable charm.