Jules Dupré was a key figure of the Barbizon School, a group of 19th-century French painters who broke away from academic traditions to paint directly from nature. Dupré became known for his emotionally charged landscapes and moody skies, often with themes of rural life and the power of the natural world. Born in Nantes, he was largely self-taught but heavily influenced by English landscape painters such as John Constable and J.M.W. Turner, whose works he encountered during a trip to England in the 1830s. This exposure deepened his interest in atmospheric effects.

In Returning Home, Dupré applies his signature approach to tone and texture. The thatched cottages and figures give a sense of nostalgic rural life, while the stormy sky and shadowed trees imbue the scene with an emotional resonance typical of his work. Unlike his contemporaries who romanticized nature, Dupré's landscapes often acknowledged its darker, more sublime moods, revealing both its beauty and its untamed power. He exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon and was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 1849.

Dupré’s contribution to French landscape painting helped bridge the gap between Romanticism and early Impressionism. His  naturalistic approach to light and shadow paved the way for later artists to embrace plein air painting and a more direct engagement with nature.