Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot inherited property from his parents at Ville-d'Avray and created many paintings with a large pond on the property as the subject (-metmuseum.org). In this particular work, two village people stand in the foreground amongst a haze of tall grasses. The grasses fade into the calm waters of the pond that reflect the buildings along the horizon line. The overall tone is cool and muted, but the brightness of white in the painting and highlighted leaves in the trees suggest the sun might've been shining through a thin layer of clouds. Corot was one of the early painters to explore the Impressionist style and his prioritization of the expression of mood over topographical details greatly influenced the movement (-artsy.net). Here this quality shows as details are suggested but unfinished while a calmness, one typical of a small village like the one depicted, is palpable in the painting.