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Stephens’s explanation makes sense because it is inconceivable that the White House’s art experts would imagine Thomas’s painting was fraudulent or a copy. From the time of its birth, it would have been clear that Thomas’s work was an homage; “The Snail” was extraordinarily famous when Thomas painted “Watusi.”

Thomas’s painting was first exhibited in the ‘60s. At that time, you could no more plagiarize a Matisse collage such as “The Snail” than you could pass off the “Mona Lisa” as your own.

Right, that’s why the NYT art critic wrote about it:

“You can see her making the leap in the earlier of her two paintings on the White House list, “Watusi (Hard Edge),” from 1963. ***It’s an out-and-out steal of a Matisse collage.*** Thomas *just* shifts the pieces around, cools the colors down, and adds a title that refers to a Chubby Checker song. But through *copying* Matisse, she began to work out a format she would use again and again.”

Even if you buy the thin ‘homage’ excuse,and that's all it is, why would it be worthy of respect or admiration. Was she good with scissors? did she have choose good colors from her box of crayons? A real homage is a variation on a theme with a different execution. An artist, one who has something to express, would not just change the colors and call it a new animal. Or, another way to look at it, if this isn't a simple copy, what is? Absolutely anyone could have done the same thing and achieved the same effect. The Matisse piece was easy because it required no skill, imagination, nothing; this is just a case of pandering.
Wait a minute, who does that remind you of?