This is a phenomenological case study of a twenty-six-year-old woman looking at a painting for one hour. People usually do not spend much time on each individual work of art in an exhibition; the question is if viewing a work of art for a longer period of time creates a more profound art experience. In an attempt to explore this question, the viewer spent one hour in front of Le Luxe II (1907–8) by Henri Matisse, followed with an interview immediately after the art encounter. The study reveals that a spontaneous emotional response to a work of art originates in a current existential conflict in the viewer, rather than being a result of qualities related to the work of art alone.