A principal figure of American Impressionism, Frank Weston Benson explored the effects of color and light in landscape and figure studies drawn from his life in North Haven, Maine, where he summered with his family beginning in 1901. A small pond behind his home offered ample artistic material, with its thick vegetation, water lilies, sun-dappled reflections, and shady nooks. A lifelong wildlife enthusiast, Benson excelled at depictions of birds. Here, he added a white heron to his composition, a species native to more southerly climes. Benson likely painted the heron from memory, having become fascinated with the stately creature
during his fishing trips to the Florida Keys.