A cluster of men, women, and children lie and sit in the foreground, their bodies slumped and their faces marked by exhaustion, grief, or resignation. At the left, a man with a red fez and a heavy beard gazes forward, his torn shirt exposing his chest, while a woman leans her head wearily on his shoulder, her blue skirt and yellow headscarf catching the light. A young child clings to this man's arm, while another woman behind him reaches out, her gesture desperate.

Behind this group, a blue-turbaned figure sits in shadow, rifle resting across his lap, while another man turns his back, shoulders bare and head bowed, amplifying the sense of despair. At the right edge, a mounted soldier in a pink turban and ornate uniform rears his horse, dominating the group below; his face is stern, and his sword is raised, while a nude figure cowers beneath the horse's hooves. The sky, painted in drifting bands of pale yellow and blue, stretches wide above the chaos, with soft clouds dissolving into the horizon and the sea visible beyond the devastation.

Delacroix arranges the composition in two pyramidal clusters: one centered on the bearded man in the red fez, the other on the mounted soldier, divided by shadowed figures and a pair of embracing captives. The brushwork varies from smooth, highly finished flesh tones and fabrics in the foreground to looser, almost blurred handling of the landscape and sky, where color shifts in broad, atmospheric sweeps. Details such as the ornate costumes, jewelry, and weapons highlight the contrast between the suffering Greeks and the military presence of the Ottoman soldiers.

The overall effect is one of disarray and anguish, with little sense of hope or heroism among the victims.