Albert Krehbiel spent his childhood in Kansas before enrolling at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He became an instructor there before departing for Paris in 1903, where he studied at the famous Academie Julien. After his return to the United States, Krehbiel secured teaching appointments in Chicago, Saugatuck, Michigan—where he started a summer art school—and Santa Fe. In addition to the fresh, open-air style seen in these small oil sketches, the artist was also known for his work as a muralist.