Israels moved to Paris from Amsterdam in 1903. Besides painting elegant society ladies promenading or in fashionable locations such as the Moulin de la Galette, Israels was fascinated by the costumiers and dressmakers they frequented. Among his favourite settings were Décrolls at the Place de l'Opera and Pacquin's in rue de la Paix.

A somewhat larger oil of the same subject executed circa 1905 is in a private German collection (Anna Wagner, Isaac Israels, Amsterdam, 1969, no. 13, illustrated)