This view is most likely of Hemy's familiar surroundings at the port of Falmouth on the Northumbrian coast. Showing a nice example of waterfront architecture, he has balanced his composition with three fishing ketches, each rigged with the northland's familiar tanbark sails, riding peacefully just off the waterfront.
Hemy was a master at portraying the elusive qualities of water that never remained still enough for acute observation. He is noted for a remarkable ability to capture both the drama of powerful surging seas and the sparkling reflections that play on the calm surface of protected waters as seen in this example.
Hemy's technique was celebrated in his own lifetime as a milestone in realistic marine painting. Note his use of the small splash of green in the central area of this composition that draws the viewer's eye more deeply into the overall scene and his blending of color and light in the foreground to create the reflective texture and feel of the water's fluid surface.
