One of Baker's famous outfits was a skirt made from bananas, which Matisse may be invoking in the orange-yellow forms around the figure's waist. Baker's association with jazz music may have also inspired Matisse, whose had previously designed a book titled Jazz (1947).
One of Baker's well-known outfits was a skirt made from bananas, which Matisse might be referencing in the orange-yellow forms around the figure's waist. Baker's connection to jazz music may have also inspired Matisse, whose had previously designed a book titled Jazz (1947).