A slow river bends through a marshy valley, framed by dark bare branches on either side and clumps of dry, rust-brown reeds in the foreground. Soft blue-gray washes fade into the distant hills and tree line, and two small birds cross the pale sky.

The watercolor is loose and wet, with blooms of pigment, spatters and visible paper texture. Cool grays and warm browns sit side by side, and the unpainted paper gives the water its pale glow.