A black-and-white photograph depicts a man sitting at a table in the corner of room. The table is covered with a tablecloth and set with two cups and saucers, and on the table before the man is a sheet of paper, a small container, and a calligraphy brush. A tall, thin, potted plant just beginning to flower is in the center of the table. The man is positioned on the left side of the frame, wearing a medium-toned, long-sleeved shirt and sweater looking off camera to the lower right. The background is dense with pictures and decorative items, including items with calligraphic writing hanging on the walls. One prominent painting to the right features a large, stylized illustration of a bearded figure in robes and Japanese calligraphic text arranged vertically to the left of the figure. Behind the man at the table, a large painting depicts two women in traditional clothes in a coastal landscape. A horizontal screen above the painting shows darkened space above and behind the landscape painting, and a lightbulb hangs from the ceiling over the table. Below the photograph, a color calibration scale is visible.