This work is often regarded as the piece in which Debussy established his Impressionistic piano technique. In a letter written shortly after its completion, he stated that he "very much liked the titles of the pieces." The complete work consists of three pieces, each drawing inspiration from the Orient, Spain, and France, respectively. However, as Debussy had never actually visited the East or Spain, he wrote in the same letter that he "had no choice but to fill in the gaps with imagination."

Composition began around the mid-1890s, was completed in 1903, and premiered the following year. This period followed the completion and premiere of his grand opera Pelléas et Mélisande, making Estampes his first substantial piano work in some time.

Estampes is dedicated to Jacques-Émile Blanche (though the second piece, "La soirée dans Grenade," was dedicated earlier to Pierre Louÿs). The use of sonorities, unconstrained by classical harmonic theory, reportedly astonished music theorists of the time.

I. Pagodes

At the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, Debussy heard Balinese gamelan music and became deeply interested. This piece is said to reflect that influence.

An Oriental-style theme, employing a pentatonic scale, transforms and repeats, creating a unique atmosphere.

II. La soirée dans Grenade

The music evokes Granada, the ancient city of Andalusia, Spain, through its Habanera rhythm, Moorish melodic inflections, and guitar-like sonorities. The Spanish composer Manuel de Falla, upon hearing this work, praised Debussy's innate imagination and talent. It features a three-stave notation.

III. Jardins sous la pluie

Delicate arpeggios depict rain falling on the garden trees. Themes derived from two French children's songs, "Dodo l’enfant do" (Sleep, child, sleep) and "Nous n’irons plus au bois" (We will go to the woods no more), are skillfully quoted throughout the piece.

Compared to the moist, gentle image of rain often found in Japanese aesthetics, this piece conveys a rather dry, crisp impression.