A pale violet haze envelops the broad arches of Waterloo Bridge, stretching across the center of the canvas from left to right. The bridge appears as a series of softly rounded forms, its piers and arches rendered in loose, horizontal strokes that blend into the shimmering water below. Above the bridge, the skyline is broken by a few low buildings, their roofs touched with hints of yellow and orange pigment.

The entire upper half of the painting is filled with a sky that swirls with pink, lavender, and blue, the clouds and atmosphere merging with the distant city. Near the lower right, a small boat with a single upright figure is visible, its form suggested by just a few brushstrokes and a muted brown tone. The boat is placed in the foreground, slightly off-center, and its reflection is barely indicated in the rippling water.

No other boats or figures are clearly defined, though faint, shadowy shapes in the water suggest movement and life along the river. The paint surface is built up with visible, broken brushstrokes typical of Impressionism, giving the scene a sense of vibration and fleeting light. The composition is nearly symmetrical, with the bridge dividing the sky and water, and the horizon running level across the canvas.

Near the far left edge, a faint vertical post or piling emerges from the water, partially overlapped by the bridge’s first arch. The distant buildings along the horizon are loosely defined with touches of green and orange, creating a broken, irregular skyline. The upper right corner of the sky is filled with swirling, feathery brushstrokes of pink and lavender, blending softly into the rest of the atmosphere.

Throughout the water’s surface, horizontal lines of blue, pink, and green intermingle, suggesting gentle ripples and the reflection of the sky above.