In a stormy sea, a three-masted sailboat sails to the left. On it, two figures can be seen standing upright towards the bow. The sky is gray and the thick threatening clouds indicate the presence of a storm. On the left of the painting, four seagulls fly above the waves, completing the composition. The painter has rendered the details of the ship, its sails and its rigging with particular care. The turbulent sea, with the foaming waves, as well as the way the sky is rendered with the light diffusing through the gray tones, reflect the artist's academic training and his observation.

Ioannis Altamouras (1852 – 1878) was particularly distinguished for his seascapes. Son of painters, the Italian Francesco Saverio Altamira and the Greek Eleni Boukoura Altamura, he studied at the School of Fine Arts in Athens and then, with a scholarship from King George I, he continued his studies in Copenhagen. There, his interest in seascape painting was finalized. His artistic style is distinguished by academic elements while also incorporating the pursuits of the Copenhagen School, the Danish School and the Dutch seascape painters of the 17th century. Despite his young age (he died at the age of 26), Altamouras had an artistic maturity in his work that quickly made him stand out among his colleagues and distinguished himself, elevating him, along with Konstantinos Volanakis, to the two leading Greek seascape painters.