Although Cecilia Beaux captured the likenesses of many cultural and political leaders, many of her most powerful portraits are of her relatives and friends. Ethel Page came from a distinguished Philadelphia family that traced its lineage to Roger Williams, the founder and governor of Rhode Island. Page met the artist in 1876; this is the first of many portraits of her by Beaux.

Typical of Beaux's early style, this picture features a brightly lit face set against a dark, unarticulated background with thick brush strokes-for example, in the woman's fur cape-and one note of color: the large red bow on Page's hat. The rich, dark tone of the picture, the sense that it captures a single moment in time, and the emphasis on the subject's personality all demonstrate the influence of major Philadelphia portraitists, notably Thomas Eakins, with whom Beaux never studied but whose work she certainly knew.

Beaux presents her subject in a flattering, yet honest, way-stressing Page's sharp nose, curly bangs, alert gaze, and the jaunty angle at which she holds her head. Without introducing additional details of Page's costume or surroundings, Beaux depicts an attractive, intelligent young woman.