A young man stands at the center, his torso turned in a dynamic pose as he grips a sword in his right hand and holds aloft a severed head by the hair with his left. His face is lit from the left, revealing smooth skin and youthful features, while his gaze turns away from the gruesome trophy he displays. The figure’s white tunic slips from one shoulder, exposing his chest and arm, and a knotted pouch hangs at his hip, rendered with crisp folds and a sense of weight.

The head he holds is that of a bearded man, mouth open and eyes half-closed, with blood visible at the neck, painted with a striking realism that contrasts with the youthful calm of the victor. Both figures emerge from a deep, almost black background, the dramatic lighting casting strong shadows and highlighting the contours of muscle, fabric, and hair. The composition is tightly focused on the two figures, with the sword forming a diagonal across the upper part of the painting and the head positioned just below the outstretched arm.

Caravaggio uses bold contrasts of light and dark, with smooth, controlled brushwork that gives the flesh a lifelike sheen and the fabric a tactile quality. No secondary figures or objects are visible in the composition aside from the young man and the severed head. The background is an uninterrupted expanse of deep black, with no discernible details or landscape.

The upper left and lower right corners are completely dark, blending seamlessly into the shadows behind the figures. Light falls most strongly on the young man's left shoulder, chest, and face, creating a stark contrast with the darkness around him. Warm golden and ochre tones dominate the illuminated skin, while the shadows are rendered in cooler, muted browns and blacks.

The paint is applied smoothly in the flesh areas, with subtle transitions between light and shadow, while the edge of the tunic and pouch show more visible, textured brushstrokes. David with the Head of Goliath was painted by Caravaggio around 1600–1601 on a poplar panel, a support unusual for him. It is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.