A nude woman sits at the center of the scene, illuminated by a strong light that falls across her bare skin, highlighting her torso, arms, and legs. Her gaze is directed outward, and her expression appears contemplative as she rests one hand on her lap and the other on a white cloth draped over her knee. To her left, a female attendant kneels on the steps, gently washing or massaging her foot, her head bowed and her dark clothing rendered in deep, textured folds.

Behind the central figure, another woman sits higher up, arranging or combing the seated woman's long, light-colored hair, her own face mostly in shadow but her hands visible in the act of grooming. A richly patterned carpet is spread beneath the seated woman, its reds and golds catching the light and providing a vivid contrast to the figure's pale skin. A large, ornate jug sits on a ledge beside the central figure, its metallic surface glinting in the same warm light that defines the flesh tones.

The background is mostly dark, with dense foliage and a tree trunk rising behind the group, while in the distance to the left, faint architectural forms and towers are visible under a hazy sky. Rembrandt arranges the figures in a tight triangle, focusing attention on the nude woman while the surrounding attendants and objects frame her within an intimate setting. The brushwork varies across the surface: the flesh is modeled smoothly, while the fabrics and background foliage show thicker, more textured strokes that suggest depth and richness.

Details such as the woman's navel and breast are clearly defined, emphasizing the sensuality of the scene, while the play of light and shadow creates a dramatic contrast between the figures and their surroundings. The subject is Bathsheba, shown at her toilette, as indicated by the title The Toilet of Bathsheba and the iconography of washing and grooming. According to the museum's description, the painting belongs to the genres of religious art, nude, and genre art, combining a biblical episode with a focus on the intimate moment of bathing.