Constant Troyon is a descendant from a family of painters on porcelain who lived in Sèvres. He started off in that trade and then took to oil painting. His works have a lot in common with 17th century Dutch paintings. After getting acquainted with the Barbizonians Theodore Rousseau and Jules Dupré, he discovered new themes for his art. Rustic genre paintings from the life of French peasants, scenes with animals, and landscapes of Barbizon became his main motifs. Constant Troyon was increasingly interested in capturing real life, and painting from nature became very important for him. He worked enthusiastically on rendering lighting. In his artworks he often explored the environment before a storm. The last rays of light when the sun is almost completely screened by the clouds give the effect of tension and poetic sentiment at the same time. The painter’s interest in conveying lighting and his technique of applying pure colors with dynamic small strokes predate the discoveries of impressionists.