A bearded old man in a brown robe presses a knife to the neck of a young man, who lies pinned beneath his arm, mouth open in a silent cry. The old man's left hand grips the youth's face, turning it away from the blade, while his gaze is caught by a figure to his left. A ram stands at the lower right, its head turned toward the two central figures, its horns and woolly coat rendered in warm, earthy tones.

The light falls sharply from the left, illuminating the flesh of the angel and Isaac, and catching the old man's face in a dramatic contrast of shadow and brightness. Deep shadows envelop much of the background, while the figures are painted with strong, clear contours and a heightened sense of volume. The composition is tightly focused, with the three main figures pressed into the foreground and the action compressed into a single, tense moment.

The angel's curly, golden hair catches the light, contrasting against the deep shadow behind his head. A thick, dark tree trunk rises behind the old man's back, its branches and sparse leaves reaching upward along the upper edge of the painting. The youth's bare chest and shoulder are brightly illuminated, while his lower body is covered by a deep red drapery that falls in heavy folds.

The ram's nose nearly touches the youth's head, and its large, curved horns are painted with subtle gradations of light and shadow. The left edge of the canvas is dominated by the angel's outstretched arm, which is rendered with smooth, pale brushwork and sharply defined lines. The lower left corner is filled by the red cloth, which is painted with bold, sweeping strokes that create a sense of movement.

The old man's right hand, gripping the knife, is rendered with visible veins and wrinkles, emphasizing the tension and realism of the moment. Sacrifice of Isaac was painted by Caravaggio in 1603. Figures of an angel, Abraham, Isaac, and a ram are all present, as described in the records.