Jacob Maris was one of the most important representatives of the Hague School of artists. The painters of this group employed a free, impressionist style of brushwork, as did Breitner in Amsterdam. Jacob Maris lives and worked in The Hague for most of his life, but he also painted Amsterdam cityscapes. He depicted the view across the Buitenkant, the present Prins Hendrikkade, on many occasions. To the left, beneath a subdued grey sky, is the still-extant Schreierstoren, with the two lift bridges in front of the Gelderse Kade and the Oudezijds Kolk. Tjalks (flat-bottomed sailing boats) are moored to the quayside. Further to the right are the warehouses on the Westerdok, with the 'De Bok' windmill in the distance.