The motif of the vessel endangered by a giant sea creature during a storm can be traced back to the art of the Bruegel family in the latter half of the sixteenth century. Sea monsters symbolised the terrors of the deep in a generally overwhelming universe. Therefore, the allegorical meaning of the motif, particularly when combined with the danger represented by the rocks, is part of a more complex iconography of divine supremacy and human insignificance and the need to lead a pious life. The meaning of the barrel, though, may be understood separately. Popular belief saw it as a remedy for the threatening whale, which would be distracted by a barrel thrown overboard and swim after it. The painting demonstrates the intense human perseverance needed if disaster is to be averted and, thus, serves as a meditation on the struggles of mankind in a turbulent universe.

The artist was born in Haarlem in about 1590. He appears to have been a violent character continuously caught up in fights and stabbings, which have left us with considerable legal records. Only a small number of his paintings are known today, but it is evident that he specialised in beach scenes, ships on rough seas and historic maritime events.