Forain produced numerous, often witty images of beautiful young women who frequented Paris’s demi-monde. This little study, rapidly painted, is dedicated to ‘Mlle Valentine de Maria’ who was possibly an actress. The inscription was made by scratching through the still wet ground with the handle of a brush. A friend of Degas, Forain was a staunch supporter of the Impressionists and participated in their group shows between 1879 and 1886.