María Soledad Rocha Fernández de la Peña, Marchioness of Caballero (María Soledad Rocha Fernández de la Peña, marquesa de Caballero)

Doña María Soledad Rocha Fernández de la Peña (1774-1809) was lady-in-waiting to Queen María Luisa de Parma, also painted by Goya. This portrait forms a pair with that of the sitter's husband, José Antonio Caballero, who was Minister of Grace and Justice from 1798 onwards. In 1807 he inherited the title of marquis from his uncle. This is almost certainly the motive for his commissioning Goya to paint these portraits of himself and his wife.

The subject is shown sitting in an elegant armchair upholstered in red velvet with golden armrests. She is wearing a short-sleeved empire-line dress, made fashionable by Queen María Luisa. The decorative elements of this dress, consisting of golden circles on a blue-green base, are particularly striking. The lace edging on the sleeves and around the neckline, executed using quick brushstrokes, add elegance to the outfit. The low neckline is further decorated with a large cameo necklace. The rest of the jewellery is not of great quality. In her right hand the sitter holds a fan, whilst with her left hand she shows us a piece of paper, upon which we can read the name of the sitter, that of the painter and the date of the portrait.

The model's rather plain face stares straight out at the viewer. Her hair is gathered up and held in place by a pearl comb and a corsage in ochre and white tones. The curls of her hair are falling somewhat chaotically down over her forehead. The neutral background and strong lighting used here are common features of Goya's portraits.

According to Juan J. Luna, the sitter must have been quite pleased with this portrait, since she had two copies of it made, one of which is in the Montero de Espinosa collection, in Madrid, whilst the other is in the United States, coming from the family of the Duke and Duchess of Andría.