A group of villagers, dressed in dark clothing and white caps, gathers in small clusters as they exit a modest church set among bare trees. The church stands at the center of the composition, its steep roof and pointed spire rising against a pale, clouded sky, while the building itself is flanked by tall, leafless trunks whose branches are tipped with sparse, orange-brown leaves. A low hedge, painted in rusty tones, separates the congregation from the church and forms a horizontal band across the middle of the scene.

Brushstrokes are visible throughout, especially in the foliage and sky, where Van Gogh uses short, textured marks to suggest the movement of air and the brittle quality of late autumn. The subdued palette of greys, browns, and muted greens is punctuated by touches of ochre and blue, lending the scene a somber, reflective mood. The composition is carefully balanced, with the vertical lines of the trees and church spire contrasting against the horizontal sweep of the hedge and path.

A small figure in a reddish-brown coat stands alone near the church entrance, partially obscured by shadow and the hedge. Two figures, painted with dark blue accents, walk closely together at the far left edge of the foreground, their postures slightly hunched. In the background, several indistinct figures in dark dress appear behind the hedge, their heads just visible above the foliage.

The right edge of the painting shows a cluster of thin tree trunks, some rendered with single, wavering lines of dark paint against the lighter sky. Light falls most strongly on the upper part of the church roof and the cloud above it, where the brushstrokes are broader and more luminous. The ground in the lower foreground is painted with layered, horizontal strokes of ochre, brown, and green, creating a textured effect that suggests fallen leaves or muddy earth.

The bare branches at the upper corners are painted with quick, angular lines, some tipped with dabs of orange that stand out against the grey-blue sky. Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen is made by Vincent van Gogh in January or February 1884, and later modified in autumn 1885. The painting depicts the church in Nuenen, a village where Van Gogh lived with his parents from December 1883 to May 1885.