A three-quarter length portrait of Beryl Bainbridge, the artist's wife, seated slightly to the right with her hands in her lap, looking off to the left. She is slightly hunched forward, and wears a black top and long, pale skirt. Her skin is also very pale, especially in comparison with the dark, scratched background she is portrayed against. The dominant colour is of the black lines, which are unsystematically scribbled, with some lines and areas of various colour peeking through.