The painting captures the relentless march of death and the fragility of human existence. This fresco shows a scene of chaos- fires and shipwrecks in the background, in the foreground there are skeletons that fill up the space, taking over. The human figures are from different social backgrounds- peasants, soldiers, nobles, a king, and a cardinal. Some are running away to escape, while others fight the skeletons. The busy skeletons play instruments, haul a wagon filled with skulls, and the panic of the plague ensues everything in its path. An almost empty hourglass showing the time is running out.