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Cézanne exhibited with the Impressionists in 1874, and though he shared their plein air approach, he was preoccupied by other aims. While they sought to capture the fleeting impression of a casual glance, he often emphasized the forms and patterns that build the structure of a scene. He sought to reveal the inner geometry of nature.
The present scene showing rocks in a forest is thought to have been observed during one of Cézanne's working trips to the forest of Fontainebleau, sometime around 1893. Characteristic of his work at this time are the purplish-gray tone of the painting and the thin layers of pigment applied in a manner reminiscent of watercolour technique.
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