The year 1948 marks an important turning point in Roger Raveel's work. His imagery gradually began to take shape. During this period, he paints numerous portraits of Zulma - usually described anonymously as a 'woman' - in the domestic sphere. In this beautifully intimate little work, we see her sitting with folded hands. In the painting, we notice influences from Matisse and Brusselmans, among others. The chequered structure in planes is particularly reminiscent of the latter.

What is going on in the background is less clear and adds to the intriguing character of the painting. Is she sitting on a bed or on a table edge? What do the orange and white shapes behind her represent? The lot in the upper left with the yellow dots is presumably a piece of curtain and to its right a view outside with a piece of grey wall, the green of nature and above it the white sky.