The summer of 1892 was rainy and cold for Carl Larsson and his family in Sundborn. This is how the artist describes it:

"And then you ask about the 'harvest'! Oh dear, it's just pitiful! [...] Damn what a summer! The days fall away, one after the other. In the morning you jump in the lake, eat your oatmeal and look at every flower and leaf on the property, if they have grown during the night. Then with an easel and stuff you go out to the motif. Then dinner at half past 2. Then draw an illustration until 5 o'clock, then comes a cup of coffee with dip."

The painting in question was probably executed during this rainy summer, which may explain the cloudy sky and the muted color scheme used by the artist. We see here a tranquil depiction of the family's cottage and farm in Sundborn where they had lived since 1889. In the quote above, he describes how, after his morning swim and porridge breakfast, he goes out with his easel and starts painting. It is easy to imagine how the auction's painting was created during these morning moments.

Carl Larsson would later use the painting as a model for the more famous work "De mina" where the artist has painted the family in front of the house.