This evocation of calm shows a seascape dominated by the expanse of sky. The sea is flat and a coastline is visible in the distance to the right, with vessels including a large merchant ship far distant on the left. In the foreground on the right a dramatic outcrop of rock dominates the scene. A small fishing craft has been beached to the left of the rock and two men sit in the boat while two others stand on the shoreline. The man to the right has been depicted fishing, while the man to his left carries a basket towards the men in the boat. He has been portrayed stooping, which implies that the basket is heavy, probably with shellfish gathered from the rocks.

The picture is infused with a golden glow in the sky and on the surface of the water to the left. By contrast, the foreground is darker, which not only enhances the dramatic effect of the seascape but implies that the artist was also concerned to create a painterly effect as well. The artist was working in the third quarter of the 17th century and is thought to have lived in Rotterdam.