the painting is composed from pale blue, grey, brown, gold and white hues. mme. de broglie is shown fully frontal, looking out at the viewer with a demure expression, the intensity of which has often been compared to his later portrait of "madame moitessier". ingres reintroduces a motif first seen in his 1814 "portrait of madame de senonnes", that of the central figure reflected in a background mirror.