A massive trunk arches upward from the lower center of the canvas, its surface streaked with thick, twisting strokes of brown, red, and purple paint. The boughs of the tree splay outward, filling the upper half of the composition with a dense canopy of drooping foliage. Long, trailing leaves in shades of green, yellow, and blue cascade from the branches, veiling much of the background and creating a curtain-like effect.

The left side of the scene is dominated by deep blues and greens, where the shadowed leaves merge into a cool, almost mysterious mass. On the right, the palette shifts to vibrant yellows and light greens, suggesting sunlight filtering through the willow's hanging branches. No sky or distant landscape is visible; the entire surface is enveloped by the willow’s foliage, immersing the viewer in the tree’s enveloping presence.

The paint is applied in energetic, layered strokes, with visible ridges and impasto that give the surface a palpable texture. The composition is tightly cropped, so the willow dominates every part of the painting, its trunk and branches forming a loose vertical axis just off-center. Small details, such as the subtle shifts in color within a single leaf or the way a branch twists in space, reveal the artist’s close observation and expressive technique.

At the lower left corner, swirling strokes of white and blue suggest small patches of ground or reflected light among the foliage. Hints of bright blue and turquoise cluster near the base of the trunk, contrasting sharply with the warmer earth tones nearby. The upper right edge is bordered by a band of pale yellow and ochre, where the paint thins and reveals the canvas texture underneath.

In the bottom center, irregular horizontal strokes of dark green and brown define the shadowed earth beneath the tree. The upper left corner is densely layered with dark blue and purple, creating a sense of depth and shadow among the hanging leaves. Throughout the painting, curving lines of red and violet weave through the branches, emphasizing the twisting movement of the limbs and foliage. Claude Monet created this work in 1918, focusing on the species Salix babylonica, the weeping willow.