The Witcher 3: A Portrait of the Witcher as an Old Man Walkthrough

A portrait artist in Beauclair takes a shine to Geralt’s weathered looks and asks the witcher to sit as his model. Completing this secondary quest in the Blood and Wine expansion lets you buy a unique painting for Corvo Bianco and, more importantly, counts toward the “Proof of Generosity” requirement in the “There Can Be Only One” quest.

Quick answer: Finish “The Warble of a Smitten Knight” first, then talk to the Painter south of The Gran’place, meet him near Beauclair Palace between 10 AM and 2 PM, recover his paints, pick a pose, kill the griffin, and return a day later to buy the portrait for 1,000 Crowns.

Image credit: CD Projekt Red via YouTube/@Quick Tips

Requirements and rewards

The quest only appears in the Toussaint region after you have completed (or failed) “The Warble of a Smitten Knight.” The suggested level is 43, and you cannot miss or permanently lose access to it. Buying the finished painting is optional but is the only way to display it in your vineyard.

Detail	Value
Prerequisite	The Warble of a Smitten Knight
Region	Toussaint (Beauclair)
Gold reward	300 Crowns
Optional purchase	Portrait of Geralt (1,000 Crowns)
Griffin loot	Griffin Trophy, Toussaint Ducal Guardsman’s steel sword

Start the quest and meet the Painter

Head to the market square just south of The Gran’place signpost in Beauclair. In the southeastern corner among the tents, you will find the Painter, who calls out to Geralt as “Snow White.” Speak with him and agree to pose for a portrait.

He arranges to see you around noon beside the western gate of Beauclair Palace. Fast travel to the Beauclair Palace signpost, then head to the west of it. He will speak only under the right lighting, so get there from 10 AM to 2 PM, not before or after.

If it is outside the window, use meditation to skip ahead to late morning before approaching him.

Recover the missing paints

Ride out with the Painter to the hill where a group of picnickers has set up. When you arrive, his brushes and paints have gone missing, and he asks Geralt to track them down.

Use your Witcher Senses to follow the scent trail. The fastest route is to head straight down the hill to the south of the picnickers, which leads to a cave. Inside you will find the Painting Accessories.

Clear out the Nekkers guarding the chamber, then pick up the paints. Coat your silver sword with Ogroid Oil for extra damage, and use Aard or a Northern Wind bomb to knock several of them down at once. Return the paints to the Painter afterward.

Choose a pose for the painting

Follow the Painter to the final scenic spot, where he asks Geralt to strike a pose. Your choice changes only how the finished portrait looks. It does not affect the price or the time the painting takes. There are three options.

On horseback — Geralt mounted on Roach.
Heroic — standing with a sword. The shield shown depends on the moniker you chose during “The Warble of a Smitten Knight.”
Reclining — lying down.

Defeat the griffin

After a time skip showing Geralt has been posing for hours, a live griffin (level 43) swoops down and forces a fight. Griffins are weak to silver swords, the Aard Sign, Hybrid Oil, and Grapeshot bombs. Use your crossbow or Aard to bring it out of the air, then hit it hard while it is grounded.

Once the beast is dead, the Painter offers to add it to the portrait. This is purely cosmetic and does not change the cost or the wait. Loot the corpse for a Griffin Trophy and the Toussaint Ducal Guardsman’s steel sword before you leave. He then pays you 300 Crowns and asks you to check back in the market square in a day.

If you flee from the griffin, the quest fails and the Painter dies. His body can be found on the hill, and the griffin will still need to be killed but yields no trophy.

Buy the finished portrait

Wait a full day, then return to the Painter’s spot in the market square. A crowd has gathered around the easel, and you will see that the artist rendered Geralt in the nude. You can buy the painting for 1,000 Crowns to hang it in Corvo Bianco.

Purchasing it counts as “Proof of Generosity” for the “There Can Be Only One” side quest, which is the main reason to spend the coin. If you decline, the Painter keeps the portrait ready so you can come back and buy it later. The quest completes as soon as the conversation ends, whether or not you make the purchase.