A man in a white shirt kneels at the center of the scene, arms flung wide in a gesture of terror and defiance, as a firing squad levels their rifles at him from the right. Around him, a group of men cower, kneel, or cover their faces, their bodies twisted in fear and resignation, while two corpses lie sprawled in the blood-soaked foreground. The executioners form a rigid, anonymous line, their faces hidden by hats and turned away from the viewer, their dark uniforms and rifles forming a mechanical barrier between life and death.

An oil lamp set on a box throws a harsh, unnatural light onto the victims, illuminating the white shirt and yellow trousers of the central figure, while the rest of the scene recedes into deep shadow. The palette is dominated by earth tones, ochres, and blacks, with flashes of white and red that heighten the sense of violence and drama. Broad, expressive brushstrokes are visible in the figures' clothing and the rough ground, giving the surface a sense of urgency and agitation.

The composition divides sharply between the compact, angular mass of soldiers and the chaotic, vulnerable cluster of victims, emphasizing the imbalance of power. A cluster of shadowy buildings with peaked roofs and a tower rises in the background, silhouetted against the dark sky. Along the left edge, several figures are barely distinguishable in the gloom, their forms merging with the hillside behind them.

The brightest light falls in a rough rectangle on the ground and the central figures, leaving the soldiers and the far corners in near-total darkness. Loose, gestural brushstrokes define the folds of clothing and the uneven, rocky slope that fills the upper left of the composition.