A sprawling carob tree dominates the foreground, its thick, twisting trunk and broad canopy casting deep shade across the dry earth. Beneath the tree, a flock of sheep clusters tightly together, their woolly backs forming a dense, irregular mass that fills the lower half of the composition. Several sheep lie down in the cool shadow, while others stand and graze, their heads lowered to the ground.

To the right, two dogs rest on the sunlit earth, one with a reddish coat stretched out and another darker animal curled nearby, keeping watch over the flock. The background opens onto a brilliant expanse of blue sea, its surface calm and luminous under the clear sky, with a distant coastline and a single white sail visible on the horizon. On the left, dense green shrubs and prickly pear cacti grow along the edge of the rocky shore, their foliage rendered with loose, textured brushstrokes.

A low white wall stands at the far right, its sunlit surface contrasting with the deep shadow beneath the tree and suggesting the presence of a nearby building just outside the frame. The composition is anchored by the massive tree, whose gnarled bark and spreading branches are painted with bold, energetic strokes, capturing the play of sunlight and shadow across its surface. Sorolla uses a palette of earthy browns, olive greens, and cool blues, with flashes of white and ochre where the sun strikes the ground and the animals' coats.

The brushwork is lively and varied, with areas of thick, impasto paint describing the rugged tree trunk and more fluid, transparent washes in the sky and sea. Every element in the scene is arranged to lead the gaze from the dense shade under the tree out toward the bright, open water beyond.