Boucher often turned to the elegant and rather superficial subjects typical of the rococo style, of which he was an outstanding master. Venus appears repeatedly in his works, and there are a number of canvases such as this showing the goddess of beauty at her toilet. Such subjects allowed the artist to create one of those light and frivolous works for which he was so famous, its optimism and festiveness enhanced by the colour scheme.
This painting forms a pair with another canvas in the Hermitage, showing the triumph of Venus. Both works - as was common in the rococo style - were intended to decorate an interior and to form an integral part of an ensemble.
For many years Boucher produced designs for elegant tapestries and this could not but affect his painting style. This influence can be seen in the precise drawing, the relative flatness and exaggerated ornamentality of details.