A woman with pale skin and golden hair sits at the center, her body turned toward a man in elaborate armor who wraps his arm around her shoulders. Her gaze is directed upward toward the man's face, her lips parted and her left arm encircling a large silver vessel that rests on her lap. The man, whose reddish beard and feathered helmet catch the light, looks intently at her, his right hand resting protectively on her arm while his left supports the vessel.

A vivid red sash drapes across his armor, its folds painted with energetic, sweeping brushstrokes that contrast with the metallic gleam of his breastplate and the soft, luminous flesh of the woman. The background is loosely painted, with dark, swirling brushwork that throws the brightly lit figures into sharp relief and creates a sense of depth and movement. The artist uses bold, fluid brushstrokes to model flesh and fabric, while metallic surfaces are rendered with precise highlights and reflections.

The composition is tightly constructed, with the central figures pressed together and framed by the surrounding characters, drawing focus to their intimate interaction. Small details, such as the chain on the vessel and the intricate lacing on the man's armor, reveal the artist's attention to texture and ornament. To the left of the central pair, a bearded man with a wreath of grape leaves and a broad smile raises a small cup in his right hand, his eyes directed toward the couple.

In the lower right corner, a winged child with curly hair and rosy cheeks grasps the hilt of the man's sword and looks out toward the viewer. Behind the armored man, a shadowy, indistinct figure emerges from the darkness, its features only faintly suggested by loose, brown brushwork. The background transitions from deep, swirling browns and blacks on the right to warmer, lighter tones on the left, with the suggestion of a wooden surface behind the bearded man.

Light falls most strongly on the woman's upper body and face, as well as the child's shoulders, creating a luminous effect against the darker surroundings. The edges of the painting, especially in the upper right and lower left corners, are loosely rendered with rapid, visible brushstrokes that dissolve forms into the shadowy background. Venus and Mars is painted by Peter Paul Rubens in the 1630s.