The painting "Portrait of a lady" or "Retrato de una dama" in Spanish by the artist José María Estrada, one of the most important portrait painters of the 19th-century in Mexico, recognized by his technique of refusing to draw an initial sketch for his paintings and directly applied the paint to the canvas.
In the artwork an unrecognized woman can be seen, following the traditional structure of a portrait she has been placed in the center, in addition the background is painted in a dark color to highlight the main subject. The woman is dressed in a light pink dress with an open collar and short sleeves with white ruffles, her dress pattern is detailed ,with an overlapping pink fabric and a fitted waist. The jewelry she is adorned with is heavy, gold-colored with red stones, featuring long earrings that match the necklace. The expression on the unknown woman’s face is serene, with a faint smile and a relaxed posture, in addition, her fair complexion stands in strong contrast to her hair and eyes, which seem to fade into the background.
His method of refusing to make a sketch and directly applying paint to the canvas is certainly unique. She has on a beautiful and detailed light pink dress with ruffled collars. Her jewels stand out most from anything else in the painting. The colors use in the subject lay well in contrast to the background colour. The detailing is intricate and thoughtful. Her eyes lean into the background and seem still, full of expression but lifeless and non-existent at the same time.
