In 1905 La Revue Blanche ceased publication, and the artistic circle surrounding the vivacious Misia Natanson came to a end. In 1900 Vuillard became acquainted with Jos Hessel, the first owner of this painting, who worked for his dealer Bernheim-Jeune. Vuillard developed a warm relationship with Jos' wife Lucy, who was to fill the roles of loyal friend, confidant and muse for the bachelor artist.

The Hessel milieu was one in which painters and
writers and actors and actresses were welcome,
but it was not a milieu to which they were
indispensable; nor was it a milieu in which the
ideas most naturally in favour were those of
the avant-garde. The conversation was very
good, but it was not the kind of thing that
Vuillard had heard at 28 rue Pigalle, or at the
Natanson's in the heyday of La Revue Blanche...
What he got from the Hessels was friendship of
another kind: indestructible, appreciative, well
upholstered, full of a nourished good sense.
(J. Russell, "The Vocation of Edouard Vuillard",
introduction to the exhibition catalogue Edouard
Vuillard, Art Gallery of Ontario, 1971, p. 68)

This painting will be included in the forthcoming Vuillard catalogue raisonné being prepared by Antoine Salomon and Annette Leduc Beaulieu from the records and under the responsibility of Antoine Salomon.