It is believed that the title Saturday was given by poet Guillaume Apollinaire. Andre Derain painted the piece when he had a deep interest in Gothic art.

The key to understanding it is to search within the conceptual domain of neocatholicism. The artist transforms an everyday scene into a ritual. The scene can be interpreted as a manifestation of Holy Saturday, with the female figures as the three Marys keeping vigil by the grave of Christ, expecting the Resurrection. The blessing gesture by the central character has a sacral meaning. The women’s figures, each of which forms a finished sculptural shape, are extremely distorted. All of the models’ proportions are exaggerated; the necks are elongated, the fingers are thin, and the facial expressions are frozen like a death mask. They are evidence of Derain’s studies of Gothic sculpture and African art.

The influence of medieval traditions is reflected in the use of reverse perspective in rendering the table, in the design of the fragile, flickering folds of ‘Gothic’ fabrics, and especially in the gestures. The darker palette dominated by black, brown, gray, and green shades helps create the atmosphere of agonizing waiting. The landscape beyond the window and the characters in the room are washed by a light that takes on a mystical role. The severe and dramatic atmosphere of the painting embodies the best qualities of Derain’s creative legacy.