The organic curves and dynamic nature of the water nymph Undine as she moves through the cattails is indicative of Carrier-Belleuse's inspiration from the Baroque and Rococo. The sculptor was an influential figure in shifting artistic taste in mid-nineteenth century France from an idealized style inspired by Classicism to one that favored active figures, high energy, and curvilinear design. The subject of the sculpture is taken from a popular novella and opera of the time, in which Undine must bear a human child to gain her soul.