A beardless figure in red and white sits at the center of a table, raising his right hand in a gesture of blessing while his left hand hovers above a loaf of bread. On the right, an older man with a shell pinned to his shoulder throws his arms wide in astonishment, his mouth open as if exclaiming in recognition. Leaning forward from the left, a bearded man in a green cloak grips the back of his chair, his body tense and his gaze fixed on the central figure.

The white tablecloth is crisply painted, its folds and shadows rendered in sharp contrast to the dark, blank background that envelops the figures. Light falls dramatically from the left, illuminating the faces and hands, and casting deep shadows that heighten the sense of immediacy and tension. The figures are painted life-size, their gestures extending into the viewer’s space, with the outstretched arms of the man on the right and the foreshortened elbow of the man on the left breaking the boundary of the scene. A standing groom, his face in shadow, appears unaware of the miraculous event unfolding before him. The composition is characteristic of the Baroque movement, with its dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, theatrical gestures, and focus on the human presence.

The painting is noted for its naturalistic detail and the use of trompe-l'œil effects, such as the basket that seems to project out of the picture plane. The dark background isolates the figures, intensifying the emotional impact and drawing attention to the revelation at the heart of the scene. The life-sized scale and vivid realism are hallmarks of Caravaggio’s style at the start of the seventeenth century.