In each of the two compositions, the three figures are in the same approximate pose and position. Similarly, both pictures share the same general structure and positioning of verticals as well as receding floor space. In addition, a number of motifs are hidden in the painting which re-appear in The Unknown Masterpiece, such as the pantomime horse, bottles, fish and a half moon. The sharp nosed black profile around the right hand figure in the painting reappears in the same location. It is a profile which from time-to-time made an appearance in other works of the 20's and 30's. The Unknown Masterpiece allows us to identify it as one of Picasso's masks for his wife Olga. The wall design in the painting, related in fshape to a fleur de Lys, recurs in the trident shaped lines in the upper right hand portion violence and suffering.

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