Louis Buvelot’s watercolour paintings were highly regarded for their evocative light and atmosphere. Buvelot favoured the settled countryside close to Naarm/Melbourne, depicting quiet paddocks, water pools and gum trees. He was praised by contemporary critics for fostering a new appreciation of the aesthetic appeal of eucalypts. One writer commented: ‘Until very recently, most of us have been accustomed to despise the irregular forms, the more sombre tints, and the more ragged foliage of the Australian eucalyptus. Mr. Buvelot has shown us the immense capacity of our sylvan autochthons [native trees] for pictorial treatment.’