In a dim, worn room, a cello leans against an ornate armchair upholstered in deep red velvet, with a heavy drape of the same cloth falling over its back. A beam of light from the window at the upper left runs across the wall and lands on the glowing amber wood of the instrument.

Sheets of music lie scattered across the floorboards at its base. The thick, energetic strokes of impasto oil paint build up rich browns, burgundies and warm golds, and the scene feels hushed and nostalgic.