Pale cliffs rise along the left edge, their surfaces streaked with blue, yellow, and orange, dissolving into the mist that fills the upper half of the scene. The sea stretches across the middle, its surface rendered in shimmering strokes of blue, green, and pink that catch the light and echo the haze above. Near the lower left, the dark, pebbly shore curves into view, flecked with touches of orange and grey, anchoring the composition in the foreground.

The sky occupies more than half the canvas, a vast expanse of soft, luminous grey that merges almost imperceptibly with the horizon and water below. Delicate dabs and streaks of color animate the surface, with the artist layering cool blues and greens against warmer yellows and oranges to evoke the changing light. No human figures or boats appear anywhere in the scene, leaving the landscape empty of secondary subjects.

The far right edge of the canvas is filled entirely with pale blue water and sky, uninterrupted by land or objects. The upper right corner is dominated by a soft, diffuse light, making the colors there especially pale and cool. In the lower right, faint horizontal strokes of yellow and blue suggest gentle movement on the water's surface.

Near the bottom edge, loose orange and pink marks mingle with grey, indicating the damp sand where the shore meets the sea. The paint is applied in thin, translucent layers in the sky, while the cliffs and water show thicker, textured strokes, creating a varied surface across the canvas. The composition is asymmetrical, with the cliffs and shoreline concentrated on the left and lower edge, while the open sea and sky dominate the right and upper portions, creating a sense of openness and calm. The brushwork is loose and visible throughout, with short, broken strokes that capture the fleeting effects of atmosphere and light rather than precise detail.

Soft reflections ripple across the water, their colors subtly shifting to suggest the changing weather and time of day. The painting was created in 1882, a date confirmed by both the museum and the catalogue line.