The first performance of the work was given by Ricardo Viñes at the Salle Érard of the Société nationale de musique in Paris on 9 January 1904.

Estampes consists of three movements: Pagodes evokes Indonesian gamelan music, which Debussy first heard in the Paris World Conference Exhibition of 1889.

Pagodas are Oriental temples with petite bases that give rise to ornate roofs that typically curve upwards, much like the ascending melodic line (G♯, C♯, D♯) which serves as a repeated motive through different portions of the piece.

La soirée dans Grenade uses the Arabic scale and mimics guitar strumming to evoke images of Granada, Spain.

At the time of its writing, Debussy's only personal experience with the country was a few hours spent in San Sebastián de los Reyes near Madrid.