A depiction of at least six ships under reduced canvas and tossed on heavy waves in a rough sea. The foreground is dominated by the large trough of a wave, depicted in intense light against the dark waves and sky. The ships are silhouetted against the sky, adding tension to the composition. Such depictions of storm scenes have been interpreted to imply cosmic disorder, so that the storms constitute metaphors for that which is threatening or dangerous, either to the individual or to society. They could thus convey a political message. Here the ships may represent either individuals, or the state, at risk from external forces. Storm scenes could also invite symbolic meditation as well as emotional identification, since the ships have been caught in and diminished by the vast flux of elemental nature.

The artist was a member of the Guild of Haarlem and worked under the influence of Jan Porcellis. He has placed his monogram on a spar in the centre of the painting.