There is much controversy among art historians surrounding this stage of Sottise's career, for the simple reason that these works could easily be forged by almost anybody, and no one is quite sure which ones, if any, are authentic. Still, the later, more exotic pieces in this series ('Chartreuse,' 'Raw Umber,' 'Burt Sienna') are fascinating no matter who painted them. But in the fall of 1937, tragedy struck: Sottise ran out of colors and, after exhibiting the 65th and final item in this series ('Crayon Sharpener'), he was forced to enter the next phase of his work.