Cowbar Breakwater Staithes, Heavy Seas in the Harbour Mouth, Early Evening

This atmospheric seascape has particular resonances with Turner's great stormy sea pictures. The breakwater at Staithes which forms the focus of the painting is very near the artist's home in North Yorkshire, and has been a recurring subject in his work over many years. A monolithic man-made structure which is vulnerable to the immense strength of the sea, it has become a symbol to the artist of man's struggle against the forces of nature.