I had not heard of this work before. It was done as an illustration for Thomas Moore's "The Epicurean". Coming from a pre-eminent English painter remembered for his haunting portrayals of the force, power, and grandeur of Nature, this piece strikes me as an uncharacteristic nod to the balance of classical harmonies. I have not read this book, but I do mention it Here.
When we studied Turner in college as part of British Romanticism, it was his nautical paintings we looked at. You can find a gallery representative of his work on the Wikipedia page.
