George Hendrik Breitner is mostly known as a painter of the turbulent city life. With a quick, impressionist eye, he registers the workers in Amsterdam's streets and cafés and the horse-drawn carriages on the canals. But in the period between 1893 and 1895 he made a striking series of paintings of girls in kimonos. These works are characterized by contemplation and intimacy rather than vibrant city dynamics and take a special place in his oeuvre.
This girl in white kimono is on a sofa surrounded by exotic elements, such as Arabian clothes. In the background there is a room screen with Japanese motifs. Breitner made a total of seven paintings with this theme. His favorite model, the young Geesje Kwak from Amsterdam, poses for most works from this series, including this painting.
At the end of the 19th century, increasing attention to Japan led to so-called Japonism. Painters took over stylistic elements of Japanese art, such as emphasizing contours and the flat plane. Breitner probably applied these Japanese objects and motifs because of their exotic appeal. These elements lend themselves to flat-plane experiments, such as the collapsing front and background. The self-directed character of the 'Japanese girls' is often associated with a period of reflection that Breitner experienced after an eye infection.