A portrait painting depicting the head and neck of John Milton from a left-hand perspective. He is depicted blind and with shoulder-length hair, represented in a linear style suggestive of a relief carving. The head is framed within a compact wreath of entwined fruiting bay and oak from the lower right side, off which hangs an apple. Extending from the right to the left of the composition, behind the portrait, is a crested serpent seen against a dark background. Its tail is in a loop and its head features a wide-opened fanged mouth carrying an apple. The head is coiled round to face the portrait, seen in profile to the right from the perspective of the viewer. Palm trees enclose the image on the extreme right and left, against the palm on the left rests a harp, and a pipe is depicted next to the right hand palm.