This is one of Cézanne's many portraits of his wife Hortense Fiquet. They met in 1869, when she was working as a model. Their son was born in 1872, but they did not marry until 1886 – because Cézanne was afraid of how his father would react. Cézanne rarely dated his paintings, but the yellowish wallpaper in the background, with its characteristic blue pattern, makes it possible to date the portrait. This particular wallpaper indicates that the painting is from the Paris flat that the couple rented for a short period in 1877.