The sitter, a leading figure in Parisian social circles, was the daughter of the Duke of Santoña (the origin of whose fortune came, above all, from the slave trade and real estate investments), from whom she inherited the title of Marchioness of Manzanedo. This small canvas is one of the few female portraits painted by Meissonier, who displays his skill in the almost-miniaturist rendering of her face, and in his ability to capture the quality of the various fabrics.