Unlike many other artists of his period, who painted in only one area of composition, Cezanne was adept at many areas of composition, including landscapes, still lifes, nude studies, and portraits. The artist completed many portraits, often using models from real life as his guides, this one possibly being his wife. He employed a light style that was related to his direct observation of his subject, as indicated by the lightly amused look on her face and her engaged posture. This painting is also indicative of his use of small color planes. Rather than completing the painting with realistic depth and shadow, he illustrates the figure as if she is in a singular dimension, employing the use of one color for each area of the composition.