[citation needed] The painting shows the west front of Chartres Cathedral bathed in a warm afternoon light that accentuates its luminosity.

The cathedral, with clear and precise lines, has two juxtaposed spires, whose verticality is taken up by the two slender trees on the right, according to a balanced and coherent composition found also in other works by Corot.

[citation needed] In the scene depicted, there is a serene harmony between Nature and man-made elements: in front of the compact mass of the church, there are two grassy hills, at the foot of which is a pile of building materials.

Nature also welcomes man: the characters that populate the scene are distinct, from the boy squatting on the square stone on the left to the carter in the background.

The scene is devoid of picturesque suggestions: everything appears random, and not even the Cathedral of Chartres has a prominent role over the other elements of the painting, with which it blends harmoniously.