Portrait of a resolute woman seated beside a patterned tablecloth, her figure carefully arranged with one arm resting in her lap and the other raised to her cheek in a contemplative gesture. She wears a dark dress with bold white lace cuffs and a high white collar secured with a round brooch. A narrow ribbon descends from the neck and frames the bodice in striking contrast. Her hair is parted in the center and arranged in carefully shaped wings over her ears, a fashion seen frequently in the 1850s.

The image is housed in an elegant oval leather-covered case with red silk interior and gilded brass mat, a less common presentation that adds to the formality and charm of the composition.