of mist, which is quite peculiar. On several occasions he angrily broke off his study trips as soon as the sun and wind had chased away the early morning mist." Three major phases can be distinguished in his work. The first works were characterized by an exact reproduction of the surroundings. Maris was still finding his way in the anatomical portrayal of cattle. In the second phase he had completely mastered this and his use of color became more definite. The meadows and trees are painted in gradations of saturated shades of green. Around 1880, he began to use broader strokes, combining this with impasto. Yet these works have an intimate atmosphere. His lively use of color distinguished Maris from the 'gray mood' of his contemporaries, and he was often called the 'impressionist' of the Hague School. Maris wrote that he never had any students, but about 1880, George Hendrik Breitner must have studied with him. He also taught his son, Simon Willem and certainly influenced others. When Maris was in his sixties, he often seemed tired of life. He went to Karlsbad a few times to take the waters, as his brother Jacob had done. On 10 October he died in The Hague. Sources Sillevis, John and Tabak, Anne, The Hague School Book, Waanders Uitgegevers, Zwolle, 2004 (pp 311–320) Further reading Joost Bergman, & Nico de Reus: Willem Maris : impressionist van de Haagse School, Wbooks, Zwolle (2012) External links 50 of his oils and watercolors Overview of his works at the Nunspeet Museum website free images of paintings and drawings by Willem Maris, in the RijksStudio of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam biography information on Willem Maris and other sources; in the Dutch R.K.D. Archive The Brothers Maris (James – Matthew – William), ed. Charles Holme; English text: D.C. Thomson; publishers: Offices of 'The Studio', London - Paris, 1907 1844 births 1910 deaths Hague School 19th-century Dutch painters Dutch male painters Artists from The Hague 20th-century Dutch painters Dutch landscape painters 19th-century Dutch male artists 20th-century Dutch male artists