The rugged coast depicted here is thought to be near Genoa, in north-west Italy. Turner first travelled there in 1828 and returned a decade later. He sketched the steep cliffs, rocky hillsides, harbours and watch towers and made colour studies on tinted paper, such as this. The soft tone of the light suggeststhat this view was painted at dawn or dusk. The tiny horse-drawn carriage included at the lower edge indicates the majestic scale of the landscape.