The large landscape was painted in Haiko in August–September 1883 and commissioned by Alfred Jacobsson. A Summer’s Evening was Edelfelt’s first large moonlight landscape. Edelfelt’s sketchbook contained many sketches and studies for this piece. The girls in the picture belonged to Edelfelt’s circle of acquaintances. On the rock stands Nina von Lerche, and in the boat sits Aina Ehrnrooth, Lily von Etter and Berta Edelfelt, sister of the artist. The following year Edelfelt painted a second version commissioned by an art dealer which was sold in New York to a private collection in Syracuse. Nowadays the painting is part of the collection at Syracuse University Art Museum.