Along with her mother, the young Irène Vignier was a frequent model for the artist during this period. Matisse created several etchings of her with each subsequent work honing details down to the essentials of her likeness. Here, he focuses on her braids, which create a frame for her face—a telling sign of her youth. Irène Vignier’s grandfather was Charles Vignier (1863–1934), a well-known dealer of Asian art. In 1913, Charles Vignier organized an exhibition in Paris from his own collection, which included African masks and sculptures and is thought to be the first public showing in France to incorporate such examples as works of art.