Cassatt, an American, met Pissarro in 1872; that led to her showing in the Fourth Impressionist Exhibition in 1879. The mother and child is a subject she depicted throughout her career. Several are paintings of a mother and child after the bath. Here they are snuggling on the grass by a riverside. In the foreground are the mother, elegantly lying on her side, and the nude child. Behind them, lavender flowers are in bloom. In the background, trees’ green leaves are reflected in the water. The bright colors and spirited brushwork are Impressionist elements. The composition, with the human figures positioned on the diagonal, and the decorative clothing are signs of the influence of ukiyo-e on work of this period.