Old Jew

The subject of Grigorescu's work is an elderly man with a white beard, leaning on a wooden cane. His ethnic, religious, and cultural identity is revealed through his appearance and attire. The old man wears a koplik—a brown fur hat specific to the Hasidic Jewish community. Traditionally worn on festive occasions or the Sabbath, the koplik hints at the subject’s status and context. The subtle contrast between the book in his right hand and the black Bekishe—the old man's robe—adds an air of mystery, heightened by the man's inquisitive gaze and the deep shadows covering half of his face.