The illustration features a portrait showing the upper body of a man, depicted from the chest up. He is positioned facing forward. The man's facial features include a well-groomed beard and mustache along with glasses perched on his nose. His hair is styled neatly and appears to be short. He is dressed in a formal suit with a shirt and tie. There appears to be a purple shade used for the tie. In the background, there are lines at the top of the page, resembling the coil bindings of a sketchbook. The text below the portrait reads "Антон Павлович Чехов 1860 - 1904." The rest of the background is plain and unadorned.