Thomas Wilmer Dewing rarely painted landscapes, preferring to show women in interior settings. The pair of figures here enjoy a private musical performance outdoors, with one woman singing and the other playing a cello. Joining nature and culture, Dewing staged a scene of refinement that he believed signaled higher beauty in an era of increasing industrialization. The scene has an enigmatic quality, as the women seem overdressed in their fine gowns and sit facing away from one another and the viewer.