According to the Louvre website, the painting was made when the marquise, aged 38, believed that she was approaching death, because of her illness.

Her pale face denotes the illness she was suffering, but she still has a proud, dignified appearance.

The neutral, evanescent background is clearly inspired by the Diego Velázquez tradition, and in the absence of other visual cues, it forces the viewer to stare at the gaze of the marquise, who was close to her death.

The painter renders much of her character, seemingly proud and benevolent, as he creates a silent dialogue between the marquise and the viewer.

In this painting, it can be noticed the influence of the great English portraitists, like Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds, whose work Goya certainly knew through engravings reproductions.