A group of figures gathers beneath a dramatic sky, framed by two ornate, gilded columns spiraling with decorative reliefs. To his left, a woman in a golden robe bends forward, balancing a large basket on her head, while a small child clings to her leg and looks upward. Another woman, dressed in blue and red, kneels to receive a basket from a bearded man, her arms outstretched and her gaze fixed on the falling manna.

A muscular figure crouches low in the foreground, intent on gathering manna from the ground, his body illuminated by a shaft of light that highlights the tension in his limbs. A young boy, his blond curls catching the light, looks up in wonder as he helps collect the miraculous food. The scene is set against a backdrop of swirling clouds and a billowing white drapery, which is gathered at the top and held with red cords, adding a sense of theatricality to the composition.

The figures are arranged in a dynamic arc, their gestures and gazes guiding the viewer's eye upward to the source of the manna and then downward to the baskets and hands below. Rubens uses bold, sweeping brushstrokes and rich, saturated colors, especially golds, reds, and blues, to create a sense of movement and abundance throughout the canvas. The play of light and shadow sculpts the bodies and drapery, giving the figures a sculptural presence that stands out against the softer, atmospheric background.

Every surface, from the woven baskets to the gilded columns and the folds of cloth, is rendered with meticulous attention to texture and detail. The subject is the biblical gathering of manna, as described in the title and source description.