A weathered man fills the canvas, his face turned slightly to the left, eyes narrowed in concentration or thought. He wears a battered hat with a broad brim, its folds and creases rendered in loose, fluid brushstrokes that suggest the softness of worn fabric. The man’s features are sharply defined: high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and a strong, furrowed brow, all modeled with rapid, confident strokes of earthy brown and ochre.

A pipe juts from the corner of his mouth, its stem catching a glint of light, while his lips are pursed as if mid-thought or mid-draw. His clothing, suggested with broad washes of blue and green, blends into the shadowy background, which swirls with indistinct, smoky tones. The light falls from the upper left, illuminating the man’s forehead, nose, and cheekbones, while the right side of his face and hat dissolve into shadow.

Sorolla’s brushwork is loose and expressive, giving the impression of quick observation and capturing the sitter’s character with immediacy rather than detail. The background is a haze of dark browns and greys, with no clear setting, focusing all attention on the sitter’s intense expression. The lower right corner bears a bold red signature and date, anchoring the composition and confirming the artist’s hand.

No secondary figures are present in the composition; the man is depicted alone against the background. The upper left corner contains soft, cloud-like washes of pale grey and blue, contrasting with the darker right side. The brim of the hat casts a shadow over the man's left eye, accentuating the depth of his brow.

Hints of green and blue pigment are visible along the man's left shoulder and collar, blending loosely into the background. The lower edge of the painting shows the man's garment dissolving into abstract, watery brushstrokes. Loose, broken lines define the edges of the hat and shoulders, with the paint bleeding softly into the surrounding space. Lobo de mar is painted by Joaquín Sorolla in 1894.