can be seen in works like 'Portrait of a woman in grey' (1905) and ‘Portrait of a young boy’ (1905). Completely free of academic rigidity, Wouters was awarded second place in the Godecharle competition for his work ‘Rêverie’ (1907) in 1907. This gave him access to a state allowance of 500 francs, allowing him to pay rent for the next two years. Despite this payment, Wouters and Hélène saved food in order to afford expensive paint. Over the next 4 years, Wouters further developed his style, using "highly sought-after plays of light and space", attracting the attention of Georges Giroux, who offered a contract with "Galerie Georges Giroux" in 1912. This contract granted Wouters the financial assistance required for him to work with his choice of materials, allowing him to produce works far more frequently. In 1912, he painted 60 canvasses, providing the money to travel to Paris and discover the Impressionists. Rik Wouters was the first Belgian artist to commit to a gallery contract of this kind. Whilst demonstrating the confidence the gallerist had in his art, it also meant that his profits were being split 50/50. Upon visiting Paris, Wouters saw the works of Cézanne, Monet, Renoir and Matisse, with whom he became increasingly appreciative of. According to Hoffman (1956), it was during this trip that he began to prioritise the "colour and light" of painting over his previous love of sculpting. He adopted a clearer and brighter palette and began to use light cloth in order to better preserve the colour tone. Additionally, Wouters started to dilute the oil paint with turpentine. He would then apply this thinly and sparsely across the canvas. Further experimentation with watercolours and the use of blank canvas began to create an effect which Julie Beckers (2017) describes as a "seemingly unfinished piece" which is used to "invite the observer to finish the strokes on his behalf". This can be seen in works such as ‘By the window, Boitsfort’ (1913). Although many enjoyed this "unfinished" aesthetic, fellow artists in particular were appreciative of his style. Over the next few years (1912–1913), Wouters produced the best works of his short career. During this period he painted and drew almost constantly, making 50 canvasses in 1912. The crazy violence, Domestic worries and De strijkster are among the most famous of his art, all produced during this period. In 1913, he won the Picard prize.