A large old tree with a dark, twisting trunk leans in from the left. Its branches carry clusters of brick-red and ochre leaves that stand out against a pale cream sky. More golden trees line the far bank, and a band of blue-grey haze sits low on the horizon.

The paint is laid on thickly, with visible palette-knife ridges in the foliage, the clouds and the muddy shoreline. The still water repeats the amber and brown of the trees in broken streaks. The scene feels calm and a little wistful, like a quiet afternoon late in the year.