A cluster of tall, leafy trees dominates the right side of Eton, from the River, their dark green forms rising above a sunlit riverbank. The water stretches across the foreground, reflecting the trees and sky in blurred, shimmering strokes of blue, brown, and green. Near the center, two slender trees with sparse foliage stand apart, their trunks and branches painted with quick, vertical sweeps that catch the light against the softer background.

To the left, the land slopes gently down to the river, with a wooden bridge or jetty just visible, rendered in pale, sketchy lines. The sky fills much of the upper half of the painting, animated by swirling clouds in white, cream, and pale blue, their movement echoed in the loose, energetic brushwork. Sunlight breaks through the clouds, bathing the landscape in a warm, golden glow that highlights the grassy banks and the tops of the trees.

The brushstrokes are broad and expressive, especially in the foliage and sky, where Turner uses sweeping motions and layered colour to suggest atmosphere and movement. Closer to the viewer, the paint is applied more thickly in places, giving texture to the riverbank and the dense greenery at the right edge. Small details, such as the reflections in the water and the subtle variations in the grass, reveal Turner's attention to the fleeting effects of light and weather.

A faint outline of distant buildings with towers appears on the horizon near the center, softened by atmospheric haze. The lower right corner features deep brown and green brushstrokes, creating a shadowed patch of earth and dense undergrowth. Light falls most strongly on the open grassy area in the left foreground, leaving the right edge and corners in partial shade.

Loose, horizontal brushwork in the water suggests gentle ripples and movement, contrasting with the more vertical lines of the trees. Eton, from the River is painted by Joseph Mallord William Turner in 1807.