A row of thatched cottages stretches across the middle of the scene, their rooftops rendered in thick, textured strokes of yellow, green, and brown. The houses sit nestled against a sloping hillside, with the land rising steeply behind them and dotted with tufts of grass and small bushes. In the foreground, a field of green and yellow sweeps diagonally upward, its surface animated by swirling, energetic brushwork that suggests wildflowers or patches of light.

The facades of the cottages are painted in pale blues and greys, punctuated by darker windows and doors, while the thatch itself is marked by short, directional lines that follow the angles of the roofs. A single plume of white smoke rises from one of the chimneys, curling into the air and echoing the movement of the clouds above. The sky is a vivid blue, streaked with bands of white and turquoise, and capped by a billowing cloud at the upper right, painted with thick, curving strokes.

The composition is organized in horizontal bands, with the field, cottages, and hillside each occupying a distinct zone, yet the energetic brushwork ties them together. Small details, such as the green shrub at the left edge and the orange roof at the far right, add variety and rhythm to the row of buildings. The paint is applied in visible, expressive marks, giving the surface a sense of movement and immediacy.

The scene is bathed in bright daylight, with sunlight falling evenly across the landscape and intensifying the contrast between the cool tones of the houses and the warm hues of the roofs and fields. Vincent van Gogh created Thatched Cottages and Houses in May 1890, during his stay in Auvers-sur-Oise, a small town north of Paris.