Except for the lady’s attire, and one other anomaly, this 1874 painting could be a modern photograph. What anomaly? The man at the tiller should have the line at the right in his right hand–rather than tied off–to adjust the sail to changes in the wind and the craft’s direction. Apparently, he did, originally.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 
France, you see, is very orderly country, and wind is orderly too. So I guess once tied up, the sail can stay the same way all the time.
Besides, he wouldn’t have a free hand for the lady 😉
He seems to be concerned about something. He might be leery of her hat. It looks like a dead duck.