In this painting we see Mary from behind, sitting on a wall. She is reading a book, giving it all her attention. Mary is usually painted wearing a red dress. Here she is wearing an orange dress with decorations, which was fashionable in Carpaccio's time. On her head she wears a scarf with a veil. Behind her we see a landscape and a city.
The arm and foot of the baby Jesus can still be seen on the left edge of the picture. It was originally part of a larger picture. The picture was later trimmed and reduced in size, so the baby Jesus was lost. All that remained was Mary reading, which makes her more of a focal point.
Mary is often painted with a book. The book is therefore a well-known symbol. But it is rather rare to see her reading actively and with concentration. Carpaccio shows us Mary in the fashion of the time and in a landscape reminiscent of Venice. He paints her as a role model for educated women.
Women are depicted unusually often in Carpaccio's paintings. They appear more self-confident than in the paintings of other painters of the time. Carpaccio may have specifically addressed women with these paintings, both as viewers and possibly as clients.