After his move to Nice in the south of France in 1917, Matisse's drawing style became more relaxed and fluid, a sign of his increasing confidence as a draughtsman. His model was a 19-year-old woman named Antoinette Arnaux, who posed for him both nude and clothed in his Nice studio. Antoinette's strong, classic features, long hair, and casual directness inspired a wealth of drawings and paintings, including the Institute's own Woman with a Plumed Hat. In this drawing, Matisse uses a fine pencil to achieve a clarity of line and a luminosity that seems to sparkle from the smooth paper. His goal was to suggest the character of Antoinette through a few rapid strokes, fixing expression through the most simple of marks and details. This insightful portrait was one of 50 drawings published by Matisse in 1920 to commemorate his 50th birthday.