In this lithograph, a female model gazes out at the viewer while reclining. Her form, which is created with just a few strokes, is surrounded by the more carefully delineated patterning on the textile beneath her, as well as the decorative elements on the wall behind her. As a printmaker, Matisse was particularly prolific in lithography. The artist either worked directly on the lithographic stone or used crayon transfer lithography, which allowed him to draw in his studio. It was the printer who would then undertake the challenge of transferring the artist’s drawing onto a stone and printing an edition or group of prints. Yet Matisse always had a clear vision of the result he expected and was meticulous in the approval that proofing required before an edition was printed.