Jan Porcellis made realistic seascapes his speciality. Here a ship has sailed too close to the rocky shore in a turbulent sea. A crew in a longboat is trying to save the stricken vessel. Porcellis used a limited palette of silver white and dark browns and greys – it was all he needed to render the atmosphere of a violent storm. The painting also has a message: the perils of the stormy sea convey to the observer how vulnerable and short-lived our existence is.