María holds a red cord under the chin of the older woman, which seems to scare her as she recoils and leans backwards, her eyes rolled in mock horror,[2] her mouth curled in delight.

Velazquez props herself up with a walking stick or cane, and bears a wooden cross in her extended right hand, playfully banishing the Duchess.

The painting is composed of mainly white and black hues applied in broad brush strokes, while the dresses are outlined in touches of livid yellow.

The figures are set against a flat, black background which isolates the moment and removes any context.

The Duchess of Alba and la Beata is considered to form part of Goya's "caprichos", and was painted shortly after he fell deaf.