Man in a brown coat and wig, holding a red book, seated against a dark background
A waist-up depiction shows a man seated, looking directly forward. The background is a dark, almost black color, with a lighter, possibly upholstered chair back visible behind his right shoulder. The man has pale skin and a light gray powdered wig with curls over his ears, tied back. His face is oval with dark eyes, a straight nose, and a small mouth. He wears a white ruffled cravat, a white waistcoat with a subtle pattern, and a long-sleeved brown coat. A medal with a starburst design hangs from a ribbon on his left lapel. White ruffled cuffs are visible at his wrists. His left arm is bent, resting on his lap, holding a small, rectangular red book. His right arm is bent, with his hand tucked into his coat. At the very bottom of the depiction, a light brown band contains handwritten text in dark script, which reads: "D.n Bernardo Iriarte, Vice-prot. de la R.l Academia de las tres nobles Artes, retratado por Goya en testimonio de mu-tua estimac.n y afecto año de 1797".