[1] The painting depicts a young man, in a brown background, dressed in black with a hat of the same color.

He is portrayed in half-length, with his elbow resting on a table and his index finger on his temple, while the other hand holds an open book.

He is of young age, has brown hair in short locks and a thick, blondish, beard.

The style of painting is rapid, made of brushstrokes that leave features not fused together, which is clearly visible on the forehead, on the doublet and on the book.

Copertini (1932) and Barocchi (1950) argue it is a copy of an autograph work, whilst Arturo Quintavalle (1948) assigns it to Michelangelo Anselmi or Girolamo da Carpi.