Lithography appeals to artists because, unlike engraving on wood or copper, it allows them to work directly on the stone, without the need for an intermediate stage, using familiar tools – crayons, pencils, pens. In this lithograph, drawn directly on the stone with a wax crayon by Henri Fantin-Latour, and from which 25 prints were produced, the model is emphasised by scratching the stone with a pointed tool. The absence of clear outlines results in a delicate haziness well suited to the poetic subjects which this artist favoured.