Pistill Mawddach waterfalls are a spectacular site near Dolgellau in north Wales. Palmer, famous for his images of the Kent countryside, travelled to Wales in 1835 and 1836. He and Edward Calvert, both followers of William Blake, were in search of new subjects and what Palmer called 'Ossian Sublimities' (Ossian was a legendary Gaelic poet).

This painting anticipates Pre-Raphaelite art in its jewel-like concentration on natural effects, catching the light in the water and spray of the falls. Waterfalls were one of the main attractions of the Welsh landscape for the Victorian tourists.