This picture was painted in Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples, looking out through a fisherman’s workshop across the bay of Naples to Vesuvius. Cooke arrived in Naples in May 1846 whilst on a tour of the Mediterranean. The shore life of the Calabrian fishermen working, washing, drying and mending their nets with spread awnings and miscellaneous gear offered colour and variety that Cooke took full advantage of in this productive period of his life.