First cleaned in 1973. This revealed that it is particularly close in style and handling to 'Seascape with Storm coming on' (No.502), though the composition is rather more amorphous; presumably Turner had not carried it quite so far.

The significance of the letters painted along the top towards the right is unclear. They were done before the main painting was fully dry, that is in Turner's studio, and seem to read 'M MNNsTTs'. The nearest parallel is the set of letters inscribed in wet paint down the left-hand edge of 'Forum Romanum', which are equally inexplicable (see No.238).