Homer spent most of the last twenty-five years of his life at Prouts Neck, Maine, which lies on a rugged stretch of the Atlantic coast about twenty miles south of Portland. There, he painted several of his most powerful seascapes-scenes that express his appreciation of nature's power. Cannon Rock took its name from its resemblance to a cannon seen from behind and from the booming sound of the surf breaking at its base. For this painting, Homer seems to have distilled from nature its elemental components-rocky shore, pounding sea, and leaden sky-and arranged them on the square canvas with impressive graphic skill.