In this scene, Volanakis depicts the splendour of an alluring landscape in absolute stillness. In the background, he depicts tall massifs, snow-capped and not, and creates a strong perspective. At the same time, as a visual game, he demonstrates the way the solid land mass contrasts with the water element of the sea and the cloudy sky. In the foreground, in the middle of the sandy shore, a boat is covered with a red sailcloth, and a second boat is moored behind it. On the right side, there is a clearly visible two-masted sailboat with lowered sails, the seascape stretching out around it in all its glory, with transparent calm waters and the occasional slight ripple.
The fishing boat that is covered with a red sail is a pictorial reference used often by Volanakis, as we have seen in the works “On calm waters”, “Along the coast, Volos”, “Arriving in a harbour”, etc.
The composition calls to mind a comment by Manolis Vlachos in “The painter Constantinos Volanakis”, Athens 1974, p. 116, who notes: “What is common, regarding the individual ships and boats, is the painter’s intention to captivate the viewer with an aesthetically flawless subject, and, at the same time, show the way to the open sea. The paintings create a gateway to the endless, shifting, fluid world.”