A wide expanse of golden wheat fills the foreground, its surface animated by thick, textured brushstrokes that sweep vertically and diagonally across the canvas. To the left, a cluster of harvested sheaves leans together, their curved forms and ochre tones distinct against the flatter field. Above, the sky glows with a dense, yellow light, the paint laid on in swirling, impasto strokes that echo the movement of the wheat below.

The composition is arranged in portrait format, unusual for Vincent van Gogh's wheat field paintings, which are typically landscape-oriented. The color scheme is dominated by yellows and ochres, punctuated by touches of blue and green in the distant town and the workers' clothing, creating a vivid contrast between the sunlit field and the cool background. Every surface is alive with visible brushwork, from the thick, directional marks in the wheat to the swirling, textured sky, giving the scene a sense of energy and immediacy. Painted in Arles in June 1888, this work belongs to a group of paintings van Gogh created during the harvest season, a period when he was intensely focused on the rhythms of rural life.

During this time, van Gogh experimented with color and technique, often working outdoors under the strong southern sun, as seen in the blazing light and bold palette of this painting. The painting is also known as Wheat Field with Sheaves and Arles in the Background, and it stands out within the series for its upright format and the clear depiction of the town beyond the fields. The Musée Rodin in Paris is the current location of this artwork. The painting captures a moment of harvest, with the figures intent on their labor, the wheat nearly ready for gathering, and the town of Arles quietly observing from the distance.