Shipwreck along a rocky coastline

The painting shows ships at the sea in a storm. In the foreground are depicted seamen saving themselves. Behind them, to the left of the centre of the painting, is a ship with a high mast leaning to the right. Other ships can be seen in the background. In the right part of the picture a rock with an approaching sea rises into the dark cloudy sky. The titles "Schiffbruch an felsiger Küste" ("Shipwreck on a rocky coast"), "Schiffe im Sturm" ("Ships in a storm") and "Segelschiffe bei Sturm an klippenreicher Küste" ("Sailing ships in a storm on a cliffy coast") have survived.

The work is signed "Beerstraten" in the lower centre, but not dated.

The following indications can be taken from the reverse: in blue grease crayon, twice "9030" (Mü-Nr.); white label outlined in blue with perforated border "1082" (Linz-Nr); in black, twice "K86" (Kremsmünster); in white crayon "6" (not identified); in pencil "D" (not identified); in pencil, twice "6614" (not identified); in crayon, three times "771" (not identified).