"The paint surface itself is mostly dry, with almost a scraped quality, a bit harsh, a bit brittle, on the edge of being flimsy. This has to do, among other things, with the amount of white paint worked dryly across the other colours - the powdery white of the chandeliers and crystal, the white of marble, lace, make-up, rose, and buttons, the smudges of white put everywhere to stand for dazzle and discoloration on the mirror."
T.J. Clark, The Painting of Modern Life, Thames & Hudson, 2000
