In the shade of the vine Under the shade of the grapevine

In this work, the artist portrays his model resorting to an expressive backlighting effect that broadens the space of representation and allows viewers to admire a sunny rural landscape and the iconic presence of the tree trunk. The red of the cloth the woman is embroidering is highlighted and bears a direct relationship with the color of the roofs in the background. This color symmetry is once again evident in the use of white: this color is used for the façades of the traditional houses and for the low garden wall that seems to frame the human element depicted in the painting. This artistic rendering is a great example of a phase Malhoa had developed over his later years and in which he chose to portray women involved in common daily chores or lost in mere reverie.