With this work, Matisse perhaps realised a pose similar to one that he discovered in photographs published in the November 1906 issue of Mes Modèles or in the December issue of L’Humanité féminine. As with other sculptures, the artist formed the female nude figure with its arms raised above its head. This pose can ultimately be traced back to antique Venus sculptures, in which the goddess holds her hair up to let it dry. Around 1900, this pose was popular with many sculptors – including Rodin and Maillol.