A satyr hangs upside down from a tree at the center, his arms bound above his head and his face contorted in pain as two men work at his body with knives. To the left, a young man in a pink robe stands holding a lira da braccio, his gaze raised and expression distant, while a set of pan pipes dangles from the tree above the satyr’s head. The brushwork is vigorous and loose, with thick, textured strokes especially visible in the figures’ flesh and the surrounding landscape, creating a sense of movement and emotional intensity.

The composition is crowded and dynamic, with the figures pressed close together, their gestures and gazes interlocking to focus attention on the central act of violence. A crowned older man sits at the lower right, draped in a red cloth, with his hand pressed to his mouth as he observes the scene. Beside him, a small child or putto stands holding onto a large black dog that faces the viewer.

A muscular, bearded figure to the right of the tree holds a metal bucket in his left hand, his body angled forward and his gaze fixed on the satyr. In the lower foreground, a small white and brown dog stands near the satyr’s head, its fur rendered with quick, textured strokes. The background is densely painted with swirling, earthy tones and indistinct foliage, with patches of brighter light falling on the figures’ skin and the bucket, while the corners and edges recede into shadow. The Flaying of Marsyas was painted by Titian in the 1570s, during the last years of his life.