Both the ethereal female figures and the reduced colour scheme of his paintings are reminiscent of the work of the English painter, Whistler, who enjoyed a great deal of great success in Paris during the late 19th century. At the same time these vertically elongated, narrow canvasses document the power of Japanese prints which also inspired Rippl at that time.
Both the austere, homogenous surroundings and the compositions reduced to a single figure anticipate the decorative qualities of Rippl's "black period" which was inspired by Post-Impressionism. The cleverly disguised sensuality of the face visible behind the veil pays homage to the type of refined female beauty much admired in the late 19th century.