It and its pair The Rising of the Sun were both private commissions for Madame de Pompadour as full-scale models for the Gobelins Manufactory.

[1] Representing the rhythm of the day, Boucher creates an integrated pairing layered with allegory and symbolism.

In The Setting of the Sun, the god Apollo returns to his mother's arms, bringing dusk along with him, represented by muted pinks, browns, and creams.

The foregrounds of both canvases are populated by the nude bodies of nymphs and naiads, overlapping with one another to create a series of arabesque curves that are echoed in the forms of the waves.

These mythological scenes of harmonious pastels, beautiful nude bodies and gauzy textures exemplify the visual elegance of the Rococo aesthetic; their decorative nature is further enhanced by their function as designs for tapestries, which would have served to adorn and complement a luxurious and fashionable home.