Maria, a young woman, is sitting under a tree with a small white dog at her feet. She wears a long, white, plain dress and has her hair tied up with a green headpiece. Most of the painting portrays the sitter's forest or garden environment. The skyscape in the background suggests that it is either sunrise or sunset. Maria, a character from Lawrence Sterne's novel 'A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy by Mr Yorick' (published in 1768), is heartbroken after being deserted by her fiancé. Her downcast mood is echoed by her dog, Sylvio, here portrayed as a Maltese or Bolognese lapdog. Wright captures the dog’s expression and texture very faithfully and it is possible that the model was a family pet. The painting portrays Sterne's visually detailed description of Maria: 'I discovered Maria sitting under a poplar.