Made at the age of 23, this self-portrait with a vase of flowers has an original layout with a diagonal perspective. In the lower left-hand corner, a still life in low angle consisting of a bouquet of red tulips on a table, and on the right-hand side in the upper part, the portrait of the painter seen in a mirror, her left hand on her belt and her right arm masked, which one imagines raised, the brush in her hand.

The numerous verticals and diagonals, straight or curved, create triangular zones that stack up from the bottom to the top, structuring the composition.

With the exception of the red colour of the tulips, whites and blacks share the colour palette almost entirely. The flashes of white light (dress, sleeve and background) contrast with the shadows (book, doorframe, bust and head), giving the work movement, especially with the bright opening in the background.

By giving as much importance to the still life as to her self-portrait, the painting indicates the painter’s passion for these bouquets of flowers, which were to be a major source of inspiration for her future work.

This early painting was awarded the prize for holiday work at the Lucien Simon’s studio at the Beaux-Arts in Paris.