The Flemish painter Sebastian Castro is recorded to have been active in Antwerp from the 1630s. This modest harbour scene, with its jetty to the left and a rocky shoreline in the middle ground to the right, exemplifies the artist’s skill in the depiction of convincing figures and boats in a landscape setting without sacrificing an overall painterly effect.

With the spectator positioned just above the water level of the harbour basin in the foreground, the calm activities of the scene unfold progressively into the picture space. Two rowing boats seem to be making way for a three-master heading into the harbour. Another tall ship to the left seems to be leaving firing a salute. Except for the red details of ensigns and clothing the picture is executed in a tonal brown colour scheme and the brushwork appears open and fluid.