A fallen French Zouave lies at the foot of a large tree, his head and upper body covered with a white cloth, in a carte de visite on printing-out paper. The image dates to 1871, at the close of the Franco-Prussian War and during the period of the Paris Commune. No photographer's imprint is visible, and the location is unidentified.

The soldier's dark, loose trousers fall in heavy folds, with white gaiters visible at his feet. Behind him stands a woman in a long, pale dress, hands brought together in front, her head cropped away by the top edge of the print. Dense foliage fills the background, and furrowed bark dominates the right side.

Zouave regiments, the French Army's light infantry recognized by their loose trousers and gaiters, fought in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 to 1871. The presence of a standing woman beside the fallen soldier sets this image apart from conventional military photography of the period.

Mounted on a cream card with rounded corners and a printed red rule border. A paper slip on the reverse is inscribed "1871" in brown ink in an unidentified hand.