A white-bearded man in a vivid red robe sits before an open book, his right hand pointing to a passage on the page. His face is sharply illuminated, with deep-set eyes and high cheekbones framed by a mane of white hair and a long, flowing beard. The figure wears a loose, voluminous garment, rendered in sweeping strokes of red that catch the light and create folds across his chest and arms.

The background is a deep, nearly black void, which throws the sitter’s pale face and bright clothing into stark relief. His left hand rests gently on the open book, fingers splayed, while the right index finger marks a specific line of text, suggesting study or contemplation. The book’s pages are painted with visible lines of text, and the edges of the paper are thick and slightly uneven, emphasizing its weight and age.

The man’s white sleeves emerge from beneath the red robe, their cuffs edged with a thin red line, and the fabric is painted with loose, fluid brushwork that gives a sense of softness and movement. No secondary figures or objects are present anywhere in the composition. The upper left and right corners of the canvas are filled with a deep, uniform darkness that lacks any detail or variation.

Light falls most strongly on the man's forehead, nose, and the tops of his hands, leaving his eyes and the lower part of his face in partial shadow. The red robe is painted with broad, sweeping brushstrokes that create a subtle sheen and suggest the texture of heavy fabric. A faint, warm highlight runs along the right edge of the robe, separating it from the dark background. The composition is tightly focused, with the figure filling almost the entire canvas and little space given to anything but the man, his robe, and the book.