The present work depicts a scene off Calais, a port city in the north of France.

Regarded as one of America’s most prominent 19th century marine painters, Edward Moran’s artistic career began in Pennsylvania under the tutelage of James Hamilton and Paul Weber. Working in the same Philadelphia studio as his brother and fellow artist, Thomas Moran, the two achieved immediate recognition for their distinctive styles. In 1862, Moran traveled to England and continued his studies at the Royal Academy before returning to America and, in 1872, settling in New York City. The artist briefly returned to Europe in 1877, traveling to France before returning to New York around 1879.