Escorted outside the mark by a pair of sidewheel steam tugs, a wooden walled merchant square rigger is westward bound off the needles at the Isle of Wight. Emotions are invariable high and hopeful at the onset of such a voyage, which possibly would last days, months or even years before landing again at their home port. Both the wonderful illumination spread by the daybreak through the heavier weather astern, and the fill of the canvas with all but the upper royals employed, indicate the wind is on the port quarter.
Knell composed this work with an interesting balance. Using the bright sky illumination to strike a parallel of water-born highlighted reflections before the ship as a vertical balance, he uses the same area to break the repetitive peaks of the choppy swell. He finishes the work with the flora-topped cliffs of the southern coastal island and numerous other sails adding positive space to the scene.
The son of a marine painter, he is known as a more atmospheric painter than his accomplished father. Given that, his attention to the breaker on the port bow, the complex rigging scheme and the varied directions of the gulls in flight are notable. This is an excellent example of the artist's attractive style and preference for depicting active scenes with a strong light source projecting from the horizon towards the viewer - a technique somewhat reminiscent of J.M.W. Turner. This work shows Knell's talent at overall composition and precise rendering of atmosphere.
