One of the few self-portraits Chassériau painted, Portrait of the Artist in a Redingote shows him standing and facing left, one hand concealed within his black jacket, a small book held within his other hand, at rest upon a red tablecloth.

In the background is a gray-green wall, upon which hangs a palette in the upper left corner.

The painter's pose is elegant, and his gaze has been described as "astonishingly young, and at the same time, weary".

[1] The portrait is a frank portrayal of Chassériau's unattractive features, much commented upon during his life: Alice Ozy, later his mistress, referred to him as "the monkey".

[1] By comparison, a self-portrait of 1838, also in the Louvre, appears more idealized.