Fascinated by the spectacle of modern entertainers, Walt Kuhn frequently portrayed clowns, cabaret dancers, and other stage performers in his work. Beginning in the 1920s, he created a bold series featuring young women in costume wearing flamboyant headwear. Kuhn transformed these women into different characters—in this case a showgirl in a seductive dragoon (member of the cavalry) outfit. Highlighting her sensuous skin and colorful theatrical make-up, he bestowed a gaudy glamour upon his subject and charged the portrait with sexual energy.