The sitter is depicted with a homely face—widely spaced, flat features, a small nose, and thin lips on a relatively large head. This lack of idealized beauty suggests the work may have been commissioned, though the model might have been Vermeer’s daughter. Likely painted from a live model, this piece is a tronie, a type of 17th-century Dutch painting valued for its unusual costumes, intriguing physiognomies, and artistic skill. The painting invites curiosity about the young woman's thoughts and character, a common trait in Vermeer's works.
