A young woman is seen from behind, her face turned in profile and her gaze lowered. Long wavy blonde hair falls the length of her back, half-caught by a small ornamental clasp, and her arms cross to hold her own shoulder in a gesture of self-enclosure. The painting is worked almost entirely in cream, ivory and warm gold, with figure and background dissolving into a single pale light; only the soft red of her lips breaks the tonal hush. The effect is quiet and inward — a portrait of withdrawal rather than display.