Seascape with a Squall Coming Up

From left to right, thick, darkening clouds begin to cover the sky. At the right, blue sky and bright clouds show through a break, sharpening the contrast between dark and light. The sea heaves in large swells with white crests, and the people on the sailboat in the left foreground are painted small. According to the museum's commentary, the boat is nearly knocked on its side by the strong wind, and the people are hurrying to lower the sail.

Turner grew up familiar with the Thames and the scenery around it, and the ever-changing views of sea and river are said to have nurtured his sense of nature's grandeur. In his early works he combined close-observation realism with the classical ways of showing bright light and air used by Claude Lorrain and others. Although this is a small piece, measuring 45.7 x 60.9 cm, it is said to show the painter's skill of this period well.

Around the same time, Turner left several seascapes that depict, in a romantic manner, the force of nature overwhelming the modest efforts of human beings.