Man in hat

A bust-length figure fills the canvas, his head covered by a broad dark hat that merges with the black background. His face, turned three-quarters toward the viewer, is built from ochre and rose-toned impasto with a pronounced nose and cheek, while a pale grey-lavender wrap or scarf falls loosely over his shoulders.

Paint is applied thickly with a knife or loaded brush, leaving ridged, cracked textures and flecks of white and gold scattered like dust across the black ground. The muted earth palette, broken only by touches of turquoise and violet in the drapery, and the heavy shadow surrounding the face give the portrait a somber, weathered gravity.