This small panel of an English fourth-rate close-hauled in a breeze identifies Cornelis Bouwmeester as one of the last exponents of 'penschilderij', monochrome (grisaille) marine pen-paintings, and in that respect a follower of Willem van de Velde the Elder and his detailed and accurate portrayal of ships. The naturalist impression of a lively breeze in the picture is created through the depiction of the waves rolling with their flat but distinct crests under the ships’ hulls. The fourth-rate is seen in the centre of the composition from a port view just off bow. Two other vessels are riding out the waves in the right background.

Bouwmeester was a Dutch marine painter and draughtsman, born and active in Rotterdam. Details of his life and training are obscure. The subjects of Boumeester’s seascapes include Dutch and English ships in calm and storm, sea battles and Mediterranean harbours. He also recorded such contemporary ceremonies as the Embarkation of William III for England on 1 November 1688. Though predominantly a marine artist, he occasionally painted landscapes and interiors and also worked as a ceramic painter. He signed some of his paintings ‘Bouwmeester’ but he is sometimes also referred to as Boumeester.