A man in elaborate armour sits upright on a powerful chestnut horse, his gloved right hand resting on the animal’s mane while his left holds the reins. His long, dark hair frames a pale, composed face with a pointed beard and a faint, controlled smile. The rider’s gaze is directed slightly to the left, away from the viewer, lending an air of calm authority to his pose.

He wears polished plate armour that gleams in the soft daylight, with highlights picked out on his breastplate, arm, and leg guards. The horse, alert and muscular, lifts its left foreleg as if pausing mid-step, its head turned gently toward the viewer. A richly dressed attendant stands at the right edge, holding a plumed helmet in both hands and looking up towards the mounted figure.

Behind the attendant, a large tree trunk and dark foliage frame the right side of the composition, while the left opens onto a distant, sunlit landscape with a low horizon and a patch of blue sky filled with billowing clouds. The light falls from the left, illuminating the rider’s face, the horse’s shoulder, and the attendant’s pink sleeve, while the background recedes into shadow. The artist uses smooth, confident brushwork to model the forms, with subtle transitions in the horse’s coat and the reflective surfaces of the armour.

Touches of gold and silver in the harness and armour add to the sense of regal splendour. The composition balances the upright figure of the king and his horse against the dark mass of the tree, anchoring the scene and focusing attention on the mounted subject. Small details, such as the gold trim on the bridle and the feathers on the helmet, reveal the artist’s attention to the trappings of power.