Self-portraiture was associated with Western culture as a perception of the self. Traditionally, the iconography of female subjects are delicate flowers or butterflies rather than viewed as independent subjects. Pan Yuliang self-portrait had few precedents in the history of Chinese paintings and challenged these more traditional subjects. Although Chinese occasionally depicted their own likeness, her piercing and direct gaze along with the pot of lush flowers signify her assertion as an independent subject. Pan embraces the modern female by posing with the floral motif previously used to symbolize a Chinese courtesan. Pan Yuliang is standing in front of an open window and sharp tonal contrast between figure and background emphasizing her body dressed in western attire and an amber necklace. The raw, textured brushwork suggests freedom of expression that comes with Pan Yuliang's long experience of the oil medium.