The painting depicts a woman shown from the knees up. She stands upright, turned slightly to her right. She wears a long grey-black dress with long sleeves. The lower part of the dress, beginning at the hips, flares out slightly. This static, sober scene is set against a dark grey background.

The woman’s pale, austere face is strongly illuminated, creating a sharp contrast with her dark clothing. The white cuffs at the ends of her sleeves, finished with delicate lace featuring a plant motif, draw particular attention. White, too, is her ruff—a wide, circular, pleated collar that covers almost her entire neck.

Her dress, which appears completely black at first glance, is adorned across the torso with fine black lace arranged in curling vine-like patterns with leaves. On the sleeves and lower portion of the dress faint dark stripes are visible. Subtle highlights on the fabric suggest the soft, slightly lustrous texture of the material.

Her hair is smoothly brushed upward, exposing her high forehead. She wears a white, semi-transparent cap that covers the top of her hair and her ears. Her eyebrows are barely visible, and her dark eyes gaze directly at the viewer. Her nose is long, with a slight bump at the bridge and a downward-tilted tip. Her lips are narrow, with corners slightly lifted. Soft, diffused shadows model her temple, cheekbones, and jawline. Faint pink blush appears on her cheeks and chin.

Her left arm hangs loosely at her side, the hand turned outward toward the viewer. It is rendered with great precision, showing a delicate network of veins. Her fingers are slightly bent, disappearing gently into the shadow where they meet the dark fabric of her dress. Her right arm is slightly bent at the elbow. She holds a small, black-bound book—likely a prayer book. It is partly closed, with her thumb resting on the cover and her index finger, adorned with a signet ring, securing the pages. She braces the book’s spine against the top of a table at the left edge of the painting.

In the background, on the right side of the canvas at mid-height, is a small black inscription stating that the woman portrayed is fifty-six years old. This practice is common in Dutch portraiture of the time, allowing viewers to know the sitter’s age.

The portrait is marked by austerity and solemnity, a simple composition, and emphasis on the sitter’s face and hands. The restricted palette—reducing the clothing to blacks and whites and muting the overall range of colours—is characteristic of Dutch bourgeois portraiture.

Audio description: Agata Lech
Consultation: Adrian Wyka
Content consultation: Miłosz Kargol