Kate Lowry has noted:
Glue-relined. All original turnover edges removed at time of lining. Present lining turnovers and edged of original canvas are covered by blue paper tape, painted black, so ground not easily visible. Lining appears to be early 20th century. Four member stretcher not original. Original canvas is very loose simple weave (c 6 threads per sq.cm. each way, similar to the canvas used for the Banditti around a tent (NMWA68.) Colour of ground not established, but painting has a brown underpaint layer the tone and colour of which varies across the painting. The paint in the beard and highlights around the man's head is quite brushy. Interestingly the artist has placed the light highlight at the right to delineate the side of head against the background, rather in the way he would normally draw the sky down to the horizon in his later landscapes. Very unlike Wilson's normal style of portraiture, so possibly a copy after a painting he saw in Rome rather than taken from an actual sitter. The painting is covered with a glossy varnish. Under UV light old scratch damages in the man's forehead are visible and these are retouched. Otherwise the painting is in good condition with no damages. Minor cracks in the man's habit below his ear at the right and in the lower right of his habit.
