A bold charcoal portrait — a young person seen frontally, the face emerging from a large dark mass of charcoal that covers much of the body and background. The charcoal here is used at its most assertive: the torso below the face is almost entirely black, the shoulder masses dark, the background at left dark. The face floats in this darkness — pale, specific, its features described with the careful observation that charcoal's blending qualities allow.
The eyes are the most worked zone: the brows drawn with multiple marks, the shadow around the eye sockets built up in gradual layers, the irises given their roundness. The nose is modeled from multiple directions. The lips are specifically rendered — slightly parted, the upper lip's curve drawn with particular attention.
The striped garment — visible as horizontal stripes of lighter and darker charcoal across the torso — is the most clothing-specific detail in any charcoal drawing. The stripes identify this as a casual, everyday garment, and their description roots the portrait in a specific social moment.
At upper left, a small mark — possibly the beginning of a signature or a studio note. The overall effect is of a face appearing from shadow, the charcoal's capacity for darkness used to create drama that the more delicate media can't achieve.