A curved wooden bridge arches gently over a pond filled with water lilies, crossing the scene horizontally just above its center. The surface of the water is crowded with clusters of pale pink and white blossoms, their rounded leaves floating in dense patches that stretch from the foreground to the base of the bridge. Reflections of the bridge and the surrounding greenery shimmer across the pond, their forms broken and softened by ripples and the loose, layered brushwork.

On either side of the bridge, willows and other lush plants spill toward the water, their foliage rendered with rapid, visible strokes of green, yellow, and touches of blue. Behind the bridge, a dense wall of trees and shrubs rises almost to the top edge of the canvas, creating a backdrop of deep, varied greens and shadowed forms. Light falls unevenly across the scene, illuminating the upper left and filtering through the leaves, while the right side and lower half remain in cooler shadow.

The palette is dominated by greens in many shades, punctuated by the soft colors of the lilies and the pale blue-grey of the bridge's railings. Brushstrokes are loose and layered, building up texture in the foliage and water, while the bridge is outlined with more deliberate, horizontal lines. No human figures appear; the composition focuses entirely on the interaction of plant, water, and structure.

Small details, such as the reddish-brown earth visible beneath the water and the subtle dabs of white and pink for the flowers, reward close inspection. Claude Monet painted The Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool, Giverny in 1899.