The work probably depicts a beach scene of fisherfolk, with two men looking into fish baskets on the left, other figures round similar baskets on the right and a horse bearing a pack saddle facing right.

This is one of a group of eleven drawings (PAE5170, PAE5171, PAE5172, PAE5173, PAE5174, PAE5175, PAE5176, PAE5177, PAE5178, PAE5179, PAE5180). They are drawn in pen and brown ink over graphite and mostly show groups of fishing people. Each drawing is inscribed on the back of the mount in an early 18th century hand; in this case the inscription ‘Wm Vanderveld Senr.' has been crossed out with the same ink it is written in.

Although there is no absolute certainty that they are by van de Velde, it seems likely that they were drawn in about 1655 when he was particularly busy with pen-paintings into which he introduced groups of fishing people in the foreground. He was a friend of Simon de Vlieger (circa 1600–53) whose figure studies he may have used for his pen-paintings, but it is unlikely that these drawings are by de Vlieger as his figure drawings are superior to van de Velde’s.