The scene depicts a coastal environment at sunset or sunrise in Kolamb, India

The scene depicts a coastal environment at sunset or sunrise in Kolamb, India. The sky, which occupies the upper two-thirds of the frame, is a diffused light grey-pink. A perfectly circular, vivid red-pink solar disc is prominent in the upper right-center of the sky. Below the horizon line, the sea exhibits a grey-pink tone in the distance, transitioning to a darker blue-green with a breaking wave in the foreground. A large, dark vessel is visible on the distant horizon. Two indistinct human figures are observed floating in the mid-ground water. In the immediate foreground, at the bottom center, the partially submerged head and shoulders of a single individual are visible.