A young woman sits in three-quarter view, her head gently inclined to her left, her gaze cast downward and to the side. Her face emerges softly from a dark, undefined background, illuminated by a warm, golden light that falls across her forehead, cheeks, and the bridge of her nose. She wears a greenish headscarf wrapped around her hair, its textured folds painted with loose, visible brushstrokes.

A rich, brownish shawl drapes over her shoulders, its surface animated by bold, broken touches of ochre and umber that suggest a heavy, patterned fabric. Her right hand is raised to her chest, fingers delicately curled, while her left arm is mostly hidden in shadow. The neckline of her garment reveals a glimpse of a pale lace trim, painted with a few precise, light strokes.

The background is a deep, velvety brown, with no visible objects or setting, focusing all attention on the sitter’s expression and posture. The brushwork varies from the smooth modeling of her skin to the rougher, more textured strokes in her clothing and the surrounding darkness. The composition is intimate and closely cropped, with the figure filling much of the canvas and her face positioned just above the center. The portrait depicts Hendrickje Stoffels, as identified in the title and museum records.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art credits the gift of Archer M. Huntington, in memory of his father, Collis Potter Huntington, as the source of its acquisition in 1926. The museum displays the painting in gallery 616, according to its current catalogue entry.

The subject, Hendrickje Stoffels, is shown as a woman, as noted in the collection data.