A woman sits facing forward, her head turned slightly to her left, with her gaze directed just past the viewer. She wears a large white cap with broad, ruffled wings that frame her face and cast deep shadows across her forehead and cheeks. The cap’s textured surface is built up with thick, visible brushstrokes, and the paint catches the light in streaks and dabs, especially at the crown and along the edges.

Her face is rendered with earthy tones and strong modeling, the planes of her cheeks and nose shaped by contrasting areas of light and shadow. Her lips are closed, and her expression is serious and reserved, with a hint of tension in her brow. The woman’s clothing is dark and simple, with a high collar and a single white band visible at her neck, painted with broad, confident strokes.

The background is a deep, nearly black void, which isolates the figure and throws her features and headdress into sharp relief. The composition is tightly cropped, focusing attention on the woman’s head and upper chest, and leaving little space around her. The surface of the painting reveals a textured handling of paint, especially in the cap and the folds of the clothing, where the brushwork is broad and visible.

Small touches of white and pale blue enliven the headdress, while the rest of the palette is dominated by muted greens, browns, and ochres. The work is a portrait of a peasant woman, a subject identified in the title and genre.