A man dressed in black velvet rises from a red-upholstered chair, his body angled forward as if in the act of greeting someone just outside the frame. His right hand reaches out in an open, welcoming gesture, while his left hand rests on the arm of the chair, fingers curled gently around the carved wood. He wears a broad-brimmed black hat that casts a soft shadow across his forehead, framing a face lit from the left and animated by a slight, confident smile and direct gaze.

A luminous lace collar, intricately patterned and crisply painted, encircles his neck and spills over his shoulders, echoed by the matching lace cuffs at his wrists. Rembrandt sets the figure against a plain, shadowed background, heightening the dramatic contrast between the illuminated face, hands, and lace, and the enveloping darkness of the costume. The composition is carefully balanced, with the sitter's forward movement and outstretched arm creating a sense of immediacy and engagement.

The brushwork is precise in the rendering of lace and flesh, yet soft and atmospheric in the handling of the background and shadows, characteristic of Rembrandt's early portrait style. The painting is signed and dated in the lower right corner, with Rembrandt's name and the year 1633 clearly visible. A deep red tassel hangs from the lower left corner of the chair, providing a small accent of color against the dark background and clothing.

The background shifts subtly from a warmer brown in the upper left to a cooler, almost black tone behind the sitter’s head and body. A narrow strip of the chair’s carved wooden frame is visible along the left edge, its reddish-brown hue contrasting with the man’s black sleeve. Light falls most strongly on the man’s face, right hand, and lace collar, leaving his lower body and the left side of the painting in shadow.

The paint handling on the man’s face and hands is smooth and blended, while the lace is rendered with delicate, precise strokes that define each loop and floral motif.