A portrait of the actress, María Guerrero (1868-1928), at the age of 23. She is portrayed in the role of “doña Inés,” from the play, Don Juan Tenorio, by José Zorrilla (1871-1893). The work, premiered in 1844, was one of its author's greatest achievements; a reinterpretation in the Romantic style of the myth of Don Juan created by Tirso de Molina (1571-1648).

María Guerrero, dressed in the habit of the Calatrava nuns, interprets the moment in which doña Inés, who has withdrawn to a convent, receives a love letter from Don Juan, hidden in the pages of a book.

This painting is an excellent example of Raimundo de Madrazo's great skill for portraiture, a genre that occupied much of his career. The expressivity of the actress' gesture, her sweet expression, and the luminosity of her habit contrast with a neutral background that is merely hinted at by a few quick patches of color.

This work was donated to the now-defunct Museum of Modern Art in 1933 by Fernando Díaz de Mendoza.