This is an early and transitional painting by Ernst. It reflects his interest in Cubism and also anticipates the works he made whilst part of the Cologne Dada group in 1919-20. The painting may represent an abstracted view seen by Ernst when he was stationed in Laon and Soissons in France during the First World War, in 1915-16. In the background of the painting a tall building with a steeple, possibly a church, can be seen. Shapes in the central construction suggest chimneys, windows and bricks. Critics have commented on the similarity of this work to paintings of towers by Robert Delaunay, whose work Ernst would have known.