The portrait is half-length, with Franklin seated behind a table. He faces virtually forward and looks directly at the viewer, his head very slightly tilted right. His hair is back from his face; his dress is casual. He wears a shirt open at the throat, with collar standing up, and ruffled cuffs. A white satin wrap serves as a sort of waistcoat; a dull green banyan or dressing gown has edges trimmed with fur. Franklin's right hand is forward, gesturing toward a map of Philadelphia and a pair of spectacles that are on the table. He engages the viewer very directly; his eyes are partly closed, the lids down.