The duchess is wearing a black dress with a woven pattern, an enormous, multilayered ruff and a silk bonnet with lace, pearls and jewels. The pendant on her gold chain forms the initial of her first name: A for Augusta. The floral still life is made up of roses, irises, marigolds, daisies and other species around a tall white lily. In early portraits, flowers sometimes have a symbolic meaning, but they also reflect an interest in botany and gardening.