An intentional disproportion in size, or rather, a modification of natural proportions, is applied here with an expressive finality.
In effect, the great distance that separates the small head from the large hands, as well as the centrality of these hands within the painting, reflects both the remote influence of the mind and the predominance of the hands in the activity of manual labour.
The background which envelops the human figure is likewise a field of expression for manual labour, the brushstrokes in the lighter areas making it clear that it has been painted by hand; the surface is covered with thin, irregular layers of colour ?almost like veils? that reveal even how the liquid paint has dripped and run.
Cf. the commentaries to the paintings The Work of the Artist (I), The Musician, Musical Order.
