The image depicts an upper body portrait of a man. He has an oval face with a prominent nose, high cheekbones, and facial hair. His curly hair falls to just below his ears. He wears a period garment with a doublet, buttons down the front, and a wide collar with pointed tips. The background is plain with an oval outline framing the upper part of the image. Below the oval is the inscription "Monsieur de Balzac." The illustration is in a traditional engraving style on a textured paper background.