A solitary black cat in profile, placed in the lower left, looks up toward a large, cratered full moon in the upper center of the sky. On the right, a gnarled autumn tree with golden-orange leaves frames the scene, its branches curving over the top. A silhouetted pine forest stands in the background, and fallen leaves cover the ground below.

Strong backlight from the moon rims the cat's silhouette, the ridges of the bark and the autumn leaves in warm amber and gold against deep midnight blues. Stylized, sparkling stars are scattered across the upper-left sky. The view is taken from ground level, looking slightly upward, which emphasizes the vastness of the sky and the height of the tree.

The oil paint is applied thickly with a palette knife, leaving fractured, mosaic-like ridges that catch the light and make the sky and landscape shimmer. The mood is magical and contemplative, quiet and a little mysterious.