Two thick, leather-bound volumes are stacked on a rough wooden table. Their spines are ridged, the covers are scuffed brown, and the page edges are aged cream. A brass chamber candlestick stands to their right. Its candle is heavily dripped with wax, and a thin wisp of smoke curls up from the wick.

The background is almost black, so the candle's golden glow and the metal's highlights stand out. The paint is thick and buttery on the wax and brass, and the dark ground is finely cracked. The scene is quiet and studious, with a late-night, old-library feel.