A servant polishing copper was a typical scene in Falguière’s time. Yet the subject matter and the way it was depicted can also be seen in the light of his interest in Spanish painting of the 17th century. Common features include a limited colour palette, the reflection of light in metal and ceramic and the isolation of the subject against a dark—and in this case unfinished—background. Falguière shared a particular fascination with Velázquez with other contemporary French painters such as Édouard Manet och Paul Cézanne.