Mlle Yvonne Landsberg was painted in 1914 before the outbreak of World War I and the uncharacteristically sombre colours and forms cannot be attributed to this, although the mood in Europe was somewhat sombre during the events leading to war. Rather, he appears to have been working out some new ideas, no doubt largely inspired by his friend and rival Pablo Picasso's cubism. The monochromatic colour scheme and the mask like face were most likely influenced by Picasso and his severe paintings of women as in Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907), but the curious lines emanating from Mlle Landsberg's body appear to be Matisse's invention. Perhaps the idea was suggested to him by futurism but the purpose for which they are used seem to be his own. The curved lines seem to be lines of force or energy surrounding the sitter, extending her into the surrounding space, of filling the void. This may be an attempt by Matisse's at expressing an existentialist theme, a lapse from his joie de vivre oeuvre.