Francis Danby ARA (1793-1861) was an Irish painter of the Romantic era. His imaginative, dramatic landscapes were comparable to those of John Martin. Danby initially developed his imaginative style while he was the central figure in a group of artists who have come to be known as the Bristol School.

Most of the mills and weirs which characterised the Stapleton section of the River Frome have gone, and the precise location of this scene is unknown. The artist composed it with great skill, carefully placing his figures and cows so they are a natural part of the landscape. Children appear in many of Francis Danby's paintings at this time; he had four or five young ones of his own by now and five more were to follow.