A group of startled women and satyrs fill a sunlit forest clearing, their bodies twisting in alarm and struggle. At the left, a woman in a flowing purple garment flees toward the edge of the scene, her arm raised and her hair flying as a satyr lunges after her. A hunting dog leaps at the feet of the fleeing woman, its attention fixed on the satyr behind her.

In the center, a satyr seizes a nude nymph around the waist, while another satyr behind them reaches for her companion, who raises her arms defensively. To the right, a cluster of nymphs struggle against their pursuers: one twists away, her blue drapery falling, while another brandishes a spear at a satyr who recoils. The foreground is scattered with the spoils of the hunt—deer, a quiver of arrows, and a bow—emphasizing the suddenness of the ambush.

The background is dense with trees, their trunks arching overhead and framing the tumultuous scene under a sky streaked with clouds. Light falls from the upper left, catching the pale skin of the nymphs and the muscular forms of the satyrs, while shadows deepen the folds of their garments and the undergrowth. The colour scheme is rich and warm, with creamy flesh tones, deep greens and browns of the forest, and vivid touches of purple, blue, and red in the drapery.

Rubens uses energetic, sweeping brushstrokes to convey movement and urgency, especially in the swirling fabrics and the animated gestures of the figures. The composition is tightly packed, with bodies overlapping and limbs interlacing, creating a sense of chaos and immediacy. Small details, such as the startled expressions, the tangle of hair, and the glint of metal on the weapons, heighten the drama of the encounter. The subject is mythological, showing Diana and her nymphs surprised by satyrs, as indicated by the title.