An albumen silver print cabinet card with no photographer's imprint visible on the trimmed black mount. The image depicts an unidentified seated artist holding pallette and maul stick seated beside a worktable heavily laden work table. At his feet is a case carrying pigments and a portable case typical of a plein air painter. The studio backdrop includes a painted architectural arch at the upper left and a mottled, textured surface at the right.

The subject is seated in a carved chair and wears a white artist smock with a dark bow tie and lighter trousers, his posture relaxed with one hand resting in his lap holding a small pallette. On the worktable beside him are several glass jars or bottles, what appears to be a small drawing or painting.

The density and variety of objects on and around the table, combined with the white coat, suggest the subject wished to be identified as an artist, though no signage, text, or other identifying information is visible in the image. The reverse is blank, and no photographer's imprint appears on the front.