Ernest Lawson was born in Nova Scotia in 1873 and spent his boyhood in Ontario. He moved to Kansas City with his family at the age of 15. He studied art in Kansas City, Mexico, New York, and Paris. He learned the techniques of Impressionism from his teacher at the Art Students League, John Twachtman, whose work is also included in this collection.

In 1898 he moved to Washington Heights, which then encompassed, a rural area on the Hudson River with a heavily wooded landscape and grazing animals. He painted the rustic scenery around him and led a quiet life.

Summer, c. 1910-15, illustrates a river scene with two boats near the bank of the Hudson River. Bare trees line the foreground and evergreens are visible through the branches in the middle ground. A farmhouse is situated at the bottom of a hill on the opposite side of the river. The blue, green, purple, and white color palette relates to the quiet contemplation of human interaction and the surrounding area.