A young woman gazes directly outward, her face softly illuminated against a deep black background. Her features are rendered with delicate precision: pale skin, dark eyes, and slightly parted lips that suggest a calm, reserved expression. Her hair is powdered and swept back from her face, framing her forehead and ears in a style typical of the late eighteenth century.

She wears a sheer, pale blue shawl that wraps around her shoulders, its folds and translucency painted with fluid, almost feathery brushstrokes. A dark fur stole is draped over the shawl, its texture contrasting with the smoothness of the fabric and the softness of her skin. The lace trim of her white undergarment peeks out at the neckline, rendered in fine, precise touches of white paint.

Light falls evenly across her face and upper chest, highlighting the gentle modeling of her cheeks and the subtle shadow beneath her chin. The composition is tightly focused on the sitter, with no visible setting or background details to distract from her presence. No secondary figures or objects are present anywhere in the composition, which is entirely focused on the sitter.

The background is a uniform, unmodulated black that extends to all edges and corners of the canvas. Subtle blue and lavender tones are visible in the folds of the shawl, adding depth and coolness to the lower part of the painting. The brushwork in the fur is loose and textured, with visible strokes suggesting the softness and unevenness of the material. The portrait shows María Teresa de Vallabriga y Rozas, as identified in the title.

Francisco de Goya painted this work in 1783.