A white catboat heels in the ocean swell, its sail taut in the wind and its bow cutting through bright blue water. Five figures occupy the boat: two shirtless men in white slacks stand at the stern and amidships, a woman in a red kerchief and halter top sits facing away, another man sits slouched in the stern, and a fifth figure, also shirtless, leans over the side. All five are turned toward a single object in the water, a dark green and brown buoy that rises from the waves just off the boat's port bow.

The buoy is topped with a bell and tangled with seaweed, its shadowy form contrasting sharply with the luminous sea and sky. Sunlight floods the scene, casting crisp shadows on the deck and highlighting the pale tones of the boat and the figures' skin. The water is rendered in layered shades of turquoise, blue, and white, with thick, textured brushstrokes suggesting the movement of wind-driven waves.

Above, cirrus clouds sweep across a vast, open sky painted in soft blues and whites, echoing the motion of the sea below. The composition places the boat and its passengers at the lower right, angled diagonally, while the buoy anchors the left, creating a dynamic tension between the two focal points. Small details, such as the red of the woman's scarf and the subtle highlights on the boat's trim, punctuate the predominantly cool palette.

The figures do not interact with each other, each absorbed in watching the buoy, adding a sense of isolation within the group. Ground Swell was painted by Edward Hopper in 1939. The subject belongs to the tradition of marine art, depicting a sailing vessel, its crew, and the surrounding sea. According to the National Gallery of Art, the painting was once in the Corcoran Gallery of Art before entering its current collection in 2014.

Technical examination described by the National Gallery of Art reveals that Hopper used a commercially pre-primed 'Winton' canvas and built up the sea with thick, textured layers of paint, while applying thinner paint elsewhere. The painting’s bright, sunlit setting and nautical subject connect it to other seascapes and lighthouse scenes by Hopper, yet the sense of unease and solitude is characteristic of his work.