A soldier in ornate armor leans forward from the left, his gloved hand raised as he accuses the elderly man on the right. Between them stands a woman in a white headscarf, her face turned toward the soldier, her finger also pointing at the man to the right. All three figures are shown at half-length, pressed close together in a shallow, dark interior, with no visible background beyond rough wooden beams and shadow.

The color palette is dominated by earthy browns, ochres, and muted reds, with the soldier’s sleeve catching a glint of coppery light and the woman’s veil rendered in cool whites and grays. Caravaggio’s brushwork is visible in the textured handling of flesh and fabric, especially in the rough modeling of Saint Peter’s weathered face and the soft folds of his robe. The composition is tightly constructed, focusing all attention on the psychological drama unfolding between the three figures, each gesture and glance contributing to the tension of the moment.

Small details, such as the glint of metal on the soldier’s helmet and the subtle highlights on the woman’s cheek, heighten the realism and immediacy of the scene. The soldier’s helmet is decorated with a gold floral motif and a raised ridge along the top. A strong shaft of light illuminates the woman’s forehead, nose, and the upper part of her veil, casting the rest of her face into delicate shadow.

The left edge of the painting is dominated by the soldier’s broad, rounded shoulder, rendered in deep red and brown tones. In the lower right corner, the folds of the elderly man’s yellowish cloak catch the light, revealing subtle gradations of color and soft, loose brushwork. The background is mostly dark but streaked with rough, vertical brushstrokes suggesting wooden boards.

The woman’s hand, raised in accusation, is painted with slender fingers and a sharply defined index finger. The soldier’s gloved hand is rendered in deep shadow, with the fingers bent and partially obscured. The composition’s upper edge is crossed by a heavy horizontal beam, painted in broad, textured strokes of brown and ochre.