Each piece is carefully sewn by Japanese artisans. [Explanation of the artwork found online] In 1868, when this work was created, Monet was 28 years old, and his first son, Jean, was born the previous year to Camille Doncieux (who he married in 1870). Around this time, Monet was rejected by the Salon in 1867 and 1868, and he was in financial difficulty. Therefore, to cut living expenses, he left Camille and Jean in Paris and went alone to live with his family in Sainte-Adresse (a port town in Le Havre, Normandy, northern France). In Le Havre, there were prominent figures such as his uncle and aunt, the Lecadre couple, and the Gaudibert family, who were successful wholesalers. They supported Monet's life by commissioning and purchasing his paintings.