This work was painted after Martínez-Cubells had returned from several sojourns in north and central Europe, where he was influenced by artists like Heinrich von Zügel (1850-1941), a specialist in compositions with animals in landscapes. Here Martínez-Cubells shows his consummate control over this type of theme, in which he sometimes included draughthorses.

Dated in 1909, this canvas belongs to the preeminent period in the artist’s production, namely the opening decade of the century, in which we could also classify Molino holandés, also in the BBVA Collection, in this case set in the Netherlands as the title Dutch Windmill suggests.

The rich palette of ochre, pink, gold and green, together with the off-white of the faded whitewashed wall, contrasts with the darker brown and green in the foreground. The two draughthorses, still with their harnesses on, are seen next to a peasant “at the end of the day”, as we can tell from the inscription on the back. The beautiful colouring and the use of loose, free-flowing brushstrokes to softly define the surfaces are a signature of the artist’s works from the first decade of the 20th century.