This illustration features the iconic scene of the blue Caterpillar sitting atop a giant, flat-topped mushroom. The Caterpillar, depicted in a classic Victorian engraving style, wears a golden-toned waistcoat and holds the long, winding tube of a hookah. A plume of thin smoke drifts from the top of the ornate hookah pipe, which sits on the mushroom surface. To the right, Alice is visible only from the nose up, her eyes peering curiously over the edge of the large mushroom cap, with her blonde hair and a small blue hair ribbon partially showing.
The artwork is rendered in the distinctive fine-line cross-hatching style of John Tenniel, characteristic of 19th-century book illustrations. The color palette is muted and soft, utilizing washes of pale blue for the Caterpillar, earthy golds for the hookah and clothing, and subtle greens in the shadowy background vegetation. The background consists of sketch-like grasses and another partial mushroom base, suggesting a rustic, wooded setting.
The composition focuses on the contrast between the tall, seated figure of the Caterpillar and the inquisitive, obscured presence of the young girl. The overall mood is whimsical and surreal, capturing a quintessential moment of fantasy literature with a calm, observational quality. The drawing relies on delicate ink lines to define textures, from the ringed body of the insect-like creature to the intricate patterns on the hookah base.