A man faces forward in three-quarter view, his head turned slightly to the right so that his gaze meets the viewer directly from beneath the brim of a broad, black beret. His face is softly illuminated from the left, casting the right side into shadow and drawing attention to the subtle modeling of his features—rounded cheeks, furrowed brow, and the faint lines around his mouth and eyes. The sitter’s expression appears calm and introspective, with a hint of melancholy in the downturned corners of his mouth and the steady, searching look in his eyes.

He wears a dark garment that merges with the deep, nearly black background, its collar edged with white and a golden chain draped loosely across his shoulders, catching the light with touches of ochre and brown. The brushwork is broad and confident in the clothing and background, with the paint laid on thickly in some areas to create a velvety texture, while the face is rendered with greater delicacy and precision, capturing the play of light on skin and hair. No other objects or figures interrupt the composition; the focus remains entirely on the solitary figure, whose presence is heightened by the dramatic contrast between light and shadow.

The background is a deep, uneven black with subtle brownish undertones, especially visible in the upper right corner, where the darkness appears mottled and textured. No secondary figures or objects are present; the composition is dominated by the bust-length figure alone, with empty space surrounding him on all sides. The left edge of the painting shows a faint transition from the dark garment to the even darker background, with the boundary between them softly blended rather than sharply defined.

Light falls most strongly on the left side of the man's face and the upper left of his chest, creating a gentle highlight along his cheekbone and temple. The right side of the figure's body and hat dissolve almost completely into shadow, with only the faintest suggestion of form and volume rendered by thin, loose brushstrokes. The paint handling on the garment is loose and sketchy, with visible brush marks and areas where the canvas texture shows through, contrasting with the smoother, more carefully blended surface of the face. Self portrait with black baret and golden chain is painted by Rembrandt in 1654.