This vertical oil painting shows a standing image of the Madonna. The figure has a long, oval-shaped face held up stiffly by an upright neck. The facial features are rendered without depth or detail, and the face is painted white over the forehead, cheeks, and chin. The figure appears to be balancing a haloed crown on the top of her head. She wears a long flowing blue robe over a beige and white garment. There is the appearance of a necklace. The figure has her arms extended down with hands clasped. She stands on a platform within a carved, hollowed out wooden structure. Behind this structure is a wall painted in pale beige, with a window above. Sargent’s vertical brushstrokes, with some horizontal hash marks, are visible in the background, the wooden structure, and the gown. Along the bottom edge is the inscription, To Mrs. I Gardner John S. Sargent.