Four men are at work stowing away the mainsail of a sailing ship. The perspective has been abruptly foreshortened with a viewpoint looking down and forward from above the men, towards the foremast and the ship's fo'c'sle. This helps to provide the sensation of a rolling ship in a heavy sea. Brangwyn trained as a wood engraver and in his early days worked under William Morris. He made a large body of woodcuts and an astonishing quantity of etchings, as well as a few lithographs. His early work revolved around the sea and this work emanates from his 'grey' period when he worked with a limited palette. He was interested in photography and the cut-off appearance of the picture and viewpoint suggests that influence, whilst the limited tones of this work are also reminiscent of black-and-white photography and the use of the negative.