This work depicts De Adriaan, a windmill along the River Spaarne near the city centre of Haarlem, Netherlands. The mill was built in 1779 on the site of an old defensive tower, and over the next century and a half was used to mill cement, tobacco, and flour. In 1932 - just six years after Hornyansky's moody depiction - a fire burnt the windmill down completely. After 70 years and several fundraising attempts, De Adriaan was rebuilt on its original foundations in 2002. While the artist frequently turned to Dutch subjects in his early career, in his written inscription on the painting's verso Hornyansky notes that this work was painted in Belgium, not the Netherlands: the artist lived in Antwerp at this time, and likely produced this painting in his studio from an earlier on-site sketch. In 1929, Hornyansky and his family moved to Toronto, where he remained for the rest of his life; notably, the artist brought this work along, exhibiting it again in 1935.