A man in cardinal’s red robes sits in three-quarter view, his head turned slightly to the left, his gaze directed away from the viewer. His features are pale and composed, the expression reserved and thoughtful, with dark hair visible beneath a scarlet biretta. The sitter’s right hand rests lightly on the open pages of a large book, while his left hand, adorned with two rings, lies relaxed on the arm of his wooden chair.

The folds of his white garment and the sheen of his red mozzetta are rendered with smooth, careful brushwork, catching the light that falls from the left. To the left, an open window or painted backdrop reveals a distant green landscape with trees, small figures walking, and a blue sky scattered with clouds. The composition balances the vertical mass of the column with the open vista, framing the cardinal between architecture and nature.

The artist uses a restrained palette, dominated by the vivid red of the robes, the creamy whites of the sleeves and surplice, and the muted earth tones of the background. Soft transitions of light and shadow model the cardinal’s face and hands, giving them a lifelike presence against the more generalized forms of the setting. The brushwork is smooth and controlled, especially in the rendering of fabric and flesh, with subtle highlights on the rings and the edges of the book.

A massive stone column rises behind the sitter’s right shoulder, its fluted base and shadowed grooves rendered with crisp, linear brushstrokes. In the lower left corner, the edge of the book’s thick, yellowed pages is visible, with the cover casting a soft shadow onto the sitter’s lap. Two small, indistinct figures walk together along a path in the green landscape outside the window, partially obscured by trees.

The cardinal’s chair, only partly visible, has a curved wooden armrest that catches a highlight along its upper edge. The background wall behind the sitter is painted in muted brown and gray tones, contrasting with the luminous red and white of the robes.