the sitter is shown in three-quarters view, placed against a backdrop of open sky with some clouds. the central canvas is dominated by red, black and brown colours. as with many of ingres' female portraits, the sitter is given greek or raphaelesque features. "sensuous and sleepy", she bears facial resemblance to figures in ingres' later "odalisque" paintings of harem women. she has an expressive, oval face and almond eyes. her eyes are slightly parted, her cheeks flushed. the woman's black hair falls over her forehead in three thick curls. she wears long diamond earrings on her unusually elongated ear, and a pearl necklace on her unnaturally long, "swan like" neck. her silk bodice is brown and low-cut with a wide neckline, worn over a crimson shawl. the painting is full of accentuating curves; from the oval cut of the canvas, to the round hair curls, the shape of her face and the shape of her necklace.