"When, as he recently did [c. 1894-95] Breitner is painting a girl in a Japanese dress, then he is not interested in the costume, the masquerade-side of the representation, in the more or less pure ethnological authenticity, - but he is struck first and foremost by the beautiful contrast that such a white or vermilion-red rich embroidered dress creates against a dull black piece of furniture, a golden-yellow pillow or a lavishly colored oriental carpet. (translation from the original Dutch: Fons Heijnsbroek)"