A single jack-o'-lantern sits on a pale, gnarled tree stump, its carved scowl and hollow eyes lit from the front against an almost solid black background. The pumpkin's ribbed skin is built from thick, buttery strokes of orange and ochre, and a curled green-gray stem tops it.

The stump below is painted in loose, dragged streaks of gray, cream and umber, so the paint itself looks like bark. The result is a dramatic, old-master style still life with a spooky edge.