After reading Johan Huizinga's book Homo Ludens (Man at Play) of Johan Huizinga Constant develops his ideas for New Babylon the futuristic city for the creative man at play.

the inspiration for this painting originates in October 2000 while visiting the Picasso Museum in Antibe, south of France, in preparation for his retrospective the following year. The Picasso Museum, located in former Château Grimaldi, looks out over the spectacular bay of Antibes. Constant is fascinated by the Mediterranean light and when he returns home he is inspired to start a new painting. He abandons his earthly hues for a bright sea blue palette.

In some of his paintings Constant places a figure resembling himself in the scene. But, not a swimmer himself, he is absent in this scene portraying the swimmers as if he is observing them from a distance.