She is dressed in a luminous white garment that pools around her form, its delicate folds rendered with fluid, almost translucent brushwork. A sheer white cap covers her hair, which spills in loose curls across the pillow and down her cheek. The light falls from the upper left, illuminating her face and upper body, and casting gentle shadows that accentuate the softness of her features.

A single string of pearls encircles her neck, catching the light and echoing the paleness of her skin. The lower part of the composition is dominated by deep blue drapery, its heavy folds painted with rich, sweeping strokes and subtle highlights. Near her hand, a few pale pink and white flowers rest on the fabric, their petals beginning to wilt.

The background is enclosed by dark curtains, framing the figure and intensifying the sense of intimacy and solemnity. The composition is tightly focused on the upper half of the body, with the head and shoulders filling much of the canvas, drawing attention to the serene expression and delicate handling of flesh and fabric. Fine, almost invisible brushstrokes create the illusion of soft textures, from the sheen of the silk to the gentle flush of the cheek. This is a catafalque portrait of Venetia Stanley, depicted on her deathbed.

Anthony van Dyck painted the work in 1633. The subject and date are confirmed by the Dulwich Picture Gallery and the Google Cultural Institute record. The painting belongs to a genre that memorializes the deceased, capturing the likeness and presence of Venetia Stanley at the moment of death.