The still life was Picasso's preferred motif in the early to mid-1940s, offering a serene alternative to the stress that clouded daily life during the war. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Picasso had no urgent need to leave Paris during this period and continued to work in his studio at 7, rue des Grands-Augustins. Rather than a vehicle for documenting the destructive reality that surrounded him, his art was for him a world of creativity into which he could escape. He worked feverishly, determined not to be cowed by the atmosphere of uncertainty around him, using any materials he could find.

Following the war, Picasso moved to Antibes with Françoise Gilot. The present work, though a continuation of the theme that had preoccupied him during the war, marks a pivotal moment in his life and career. Executed on a large sheet of paper and bursting with color, the work is a celebration of new life and lightness following a period of strife.

Louis Fort, to whom this work is dedicated, was a master printmaker with whom Picasso stayed during his first trip to the French Riviera; they began an artistic collaboration in the late 1920s. Fort was also instrumental in introducing Picasso to the Madoura pottery factory. Surrounded by contemporary muses and ancient folklore, Picasso felt renewed in the South of France, where he spent the rest of his life shaping a whimsical and influential visual language.