Port Marly occupied Sisley as a main subject in the 1870s. It was in 1876, the year after this winter scene was painted that he produced the famous L’inondation à Port-Marly (Paris, Musée d’Orsay). Many of the artist’s snow scenes also dated from the 1870s. In this example, the tonalities are particularly subtle, as the snow takes on nuances of light and colour which have been caught perfectly by the artist. The exact site is a view looking up the river Seine towards Bougival with the village of Port-Marly on the right. It is recorded that the winters of 1875 and 1876 were unusually harsh, and the prolonged period of snow gave Sisley the opportunity to observe its effects.

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