Born in Villars and based in Marseille, Guigou took the Provençal landscape as his subject and achieved some success before his sudden death from a stroke in 1871. Around 1865-66, the artist produced views in the Ile-de-France, at Moret, Villennes, and Triel-sur-Seine. Guigou painted at least two scenes set at Triel (Musée des beaux-arts, Marseille, and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), though neither reproduces the scene in the current drawing. Guigou often depicted women washing along river banks and included women doing laundry in his large landscapes.
Inscribed by the artist at lower left, "Triel - Aout 1865 -"; above this, signed(?), perhaps at a later date, "Paul Guigou".
Rewald, John, 1912-1994, former owner.
Ryskamp, Charles, ed. Nineteenth Report to the Fellows of the Pierpont Morgan Library, 1978-1980. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1981, p. 197.