After long being neglected by connoisseurs, the nudes of Prud'hon are today the most sought-after pieces of his drawing work.

Their execution no doubt constituted an entirely separate activity for him, as they most often lack – as is the case here – a direct relation to his paintings. All but a few date from the height of his creative genius. Their format, formal perfection and lunar poetry – which owes much to the blue paper medium – make these works unparalleled in the history of drawing.

The model who posed for this drawing also features in other works by this artist, and in particular in a drawing of the Petithory collection today held at Musée Bonnat in Bayonne.