Four cream-white swans move in a staggered line across black-green water, their long necks curved and their reflections trailing softly beneath them. They are the brightest shapes in the picture and stand out sharply against the gloom.

Dense trees crowd both banks, and a pale mist hangs in the gap between them at the back. The brushwork is soft and dark with a faint canvas grain, giving the pond a hushed, brooding, slightly mysterious atmosphere.