Strong blues, greens and whites dominate this wide riverscape with its expanse of sky and water interrupted by sloping banks. Pissarro rented a house in La Varenne-Saint-Hilaire, a village to the south-east of Paris, hinted at here on the left bank of the Marne. Chennevières' church and houses are just visible at the top of the right bank. Paintings by Daubigny and Corot inspired Pissarro's carefully structured composition and Courbet's work influenced his extensive use of a palette knife. The small factory buildings and ferry boat add a contemporary note. The painting was exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1865.