itself is painted in shades of blue, with green and Parma violet, which give it a voluptuousness that is absent from the womanΓÇÖs figure. There is a sensuousness in the thick paint of the milky white coffee cup and the silver-grey of the little spoon and the coffee pot. The still life, placed next to the woman, is composed of vertical shapes and adds no sentiment to the painting. This is not a casual coffee break. These elements are simply there to ΓÇÿcorrectΓÇÖ the verticality of the figure in relation to its surroundings ΓÇô a background of moulded wooden panels (either a cupboard or a door) and a wall covered with a flowery wallpaper, which seems slightly off-centre on the left. This thoughtfully balanced composition echoes the image of immutable time, symbolized by this large hieratic figure. The same sculptural monumentality is also found in some of DegasΓÇÖ portraits from this period.
