The painting depicts a young woman reclining in a loose, vaguely Eastern style, costume. She is holding sheets of music or verse in her right hand and supports her head with her left. Queen Victoria described this painting in her Journal as ‘A little gem by our excellent Winterhalter of a female figure, quite lovely, as to face, drawing & colouring.’ It was hung in the Prince’s Writing-Room at Windsor. Signed and dated: F Winterhalter / 1847.