The artist working amongst the beautiful and exotic obviously enjoying himself is most likely self referential. After the opening of Japan by Comodore Perry in the 1850's Japanesque elements started appearing in Western decorative and fine arts. Anglo-Japanesque motifs can be readity seen in the decorative designs of Christian Herter and Christopher Dresser as well as in the paintings of William Merit Chase, Mary Cassatt and James MacNiel Whistler. This painting with it's the beautiful floral arrangements , woman in kimono, Japanese fan and numerous exotic elements show that Marcuis-Simons was interested in the newly discovered beauty of the East.