Mesdag considered himself a realistic seascape painter, and in order to be closer to the sea, he purchased a room at the 'Villa Elba' and later at Hotel Rauch, located at the Scheveningen beach. Until his death in 1915, Mesdag visited the sea frequently to seek inspiration for his paintings. From his room he could observe the sea in every weather condition. When the character of the fishing village changed into a modern beach-resort around the turn of the century, Mesdag would use his old sketches as the basis for his pictures.

A truthful rendering of reality and sincerity can be seen in Mesdag's seascapes, whether he painted the North Sea in stormy weather or calm and peaceful, his paintings always make a strong impression on the spectator. The author, Frederick W Morton wrote an article in the May 1903 edition of the American art journal, Brush and Pencil. He wrote: “… [Mesdag] is a great marine-painter because he thoroughly knows his subject – he has sat by it, brooded over it, studied it in its every phase – and by straightforward methods, without the trick of palette or adventitious accessories, has sought to make and has succeeded in making his canvases convey the same impression to the spectator that the ocean conveyed to him…” This work is a beautiful example of Mesdag's work in which he depicts the interesting effect of light on water and the sky and it is still in its original frame.