Ferdinand Bol was born in Dordrecht in 1616, moving to Amsterdam around the age of 20, where he finished his training under Rembrandt, then at the height of his fame. Bol spent around four years with Rembrandt, and the artists remained in contact following his apprenticeship. As well as painting, both artists shared a love of print making, with Bol going on to produce a considerable graphic oeuvre.

Bearded Old Man in a Fur Coat shows an elderly scholar wearing a robe and soft cap. Although there are books present in the shadowy background to the left, the man cannot be directly associated with a known person or story. This portrait is an example of a tronie; a depiction of a distinctive head, face or expression which - instead of being concerned with a specific person's identity - shows a type of character, here used as an artistic exercise in painterly skill. Bearded Old Man in a Fur Cloak affords the artist the opportunity to paint the creased and wrinkled skin of old age, and the rich textures of the fur-trimmed costume.

A pen and ink drawing of the same subject possibly preceded Bearded Old Man in a Fur Cloak as a preparatory study (Groninger Museum, Groningen). Bol also made an etching of this painting in the early 1650s (British Museum, London), as well as a drawing of the head of the man, which he subsequently made into a print (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam).