This iconic surrealist painting features a desolate, dreamlike landscape dominated by an ochre-toned plane that stretches toward distant cliffs. A dead, leafless olive tree grows from a sharp-edged rectangular platform on the left. In the foreground, a strange, pale, fleshy creature lies prostrate on the ground, its features vaguely suggestive of a human face in profile with long, flowing eyelashes.
The most striking elements are several soft, melting pocket watches. One hangs limply over the branch of the tree, another drapes over the edge of the platform, and a third is draped across the back of the reclining creature. A closed, orange-gold pocket watch sits on the platform, covered in a swarm of dark ants. These distorted timepieces symbolize the fluidity of time and the irrationality of the dream state.
The composition is anchored by the contrast between the dark, shadowy foreground and the vibrant, sun-drenched coastline in the background. The sky transitions from a soft, pale yellow near the horizon to a deep, tranquil blue above. The overall colour palette is earthy and muted, punctuated by the brilliant blue of the sky and the sea. The painting is executed in a precise, realistic style, which sharply contrasts with the illogical and hallucinatory subject matter, creating an unsettling sense of timelessness and psychological depth.