A white-haired man sits facing forward, his body turned slightly to the left, with his right hand resting on the arm of a chair and his left hand visible against a dark garment. His long, curling hair frames a face marked by age, with deep-set eyes and a faint moustache, while his expression is calm and introspective. The sitter wears a broad, white collar with two decorative tassels hanging at the center, which stands out against the deep black of his cloak.

Both sleeves are rendered in warm brown tones, emerging from the darkness of his clothing, with the cuffs edged in white and painted with loose, textured brushstrokes. Light falls from the left, illuminating the man's face and hands, while the background recedes into shadow, with a reddish-brown curtain draped behind him. The paint is handled with visible, confident strokes, especially in the flesh tones of the face and hands, where the artist builds up texture and subtle color shifts.

The composition is tightly focused on the upper body, with the sitter's head positioned just above the center and his gaze directed outward. Small details, such as the glint of light on the man's lower lip and the delicate rendering of his hair, reveal a careful observation of character and age. A strip of the wooden chair is just visible at the far left edge, painted in muted, earthy tones.

The background curtain gathers in loose folds at the upper right, with subtle highlights suggesting its texture. Light grazes the knuckles and fingertips of the left hand, casting faint shadows onto the chair arm. The lower corners of the painting are almost entirely black, with only the sitter’s hands and cuffs emerging from the darkness.

Brushwork in the reddish-brown backdrop is broad and thin, allowing the canvas weave to show through in places.