Medium: original etching. This impression on laid paper was published by the American Art Review in 1880. The etched image measures 5 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches; the plate measures 6 3/4 x 4 1/2 inches. Signed in the plate, not hand-signed.

The artist executed an earlier painting of the same composition; the painting is lighter and more whimsical, with the jester wearing a red suit and an impish grin as he pours himself a drink before performing ("keying up"). The etching is done in the reverse direction and has a darker, moodier quality. The Court Jester is considered to be William Merritt Chase's most important etching.