A single bison anchors the center-right of the scene, its woolly coat caught in high-contrast light while smaller members of the herd recede behind it. Seen from eye level and slightly below, the animals feel monumental, and the overlapping figures give the picture a strong sense of scale and depth.

A dramatic, overcast sky fills the upper half in soft, blended washes, while the lower half is a textured foreground of wild grasses and dry shrubs. Thick, tactile impasto builds up the fur and grass, and the distance dissolves into a misty haze. Charcoal, ochre, umber and slate blue-grey give the whole painting a rugged, timeless calm.