Letters that Regnault wrote to his father in 1869 and 1870 recount the evolution of this picture. It began as an oil sketch of the head of a young peasant whom Regnault met in Rome in 1869, which was subsequently enlarged to a bust-length composition called Study of an African Woman. He then added canvas to three sides of the work and painted the complete figure, holding the knife and basin, against the present yellow background. Regnault considered several titles before adopting Salomé. It was shown in the Salon of 1870.

Open full-size image