This work is part of the group of Figures of Christ, alongside six other sketches depicting the same young man with black hair. As with the other identified drawings, it reveals how the artist sought the best angle or profile for the use of light. The model used to represent Jesus probably came from the local Jewish community in the neighbourhood where Rembrandt lived. The subject suggests a new type of representation in the Christian world, with Rembrandt choosing to depict a man in prayer rather than a majestic sovereign, thereby underlining the humility of man in an ecumenical manner.