[1] The painting shows a social gathering of a group of aristocrats portrayed in 18th-century clothes, which takes place on a summer day in a garden.

The background consists of a trellis on the right and trees with another group of people sitting by a table on the left.

The painting is filled with light and deep, vivid colours creating a sensuous atmosphere of a hot summer day.

It was also his protest against associating his works primarily with depicting the life of the poor, which was a characteristic feature of the artist's early paintings.

He wanted to prove to the critics that realistic techniques of artistic expression can depict various kind of scenes including those relating to the life of the upper classes.