This vertical, rectangular oil painting is a formal seated portrait of John Briggs Potter. Potter is sitting on a straight, wood frame chair. His body is oriented to our right but his face is turned to look out at us with his face tilted slightly back. He is medium-light skinned with short black hair.  He has dark, full eyebrows, a long, straight nose, and full, pursed lips. He has a dark mustache and beard along his lower jawline and over his chin. He wears a dark jacket with a collar and lapels that are open at the neckline and dark trousers. It appears that he is wearing a dark sweater over a bright white shirt with a straight collar. Potter’s hands rest on his lap, with his right hand resting easily on his left. All five fingers of his left hand are visible. The background of the portrait is a muted shade of brown, and the frame is slate blue with multiple raised panels.