The group of Dutch artists active in and around the Hague from about 1870 until after the turn of the century were drawn to that small city, surrounded by woodland and close to the seashore, because it remained relatively untouched by industrialization. The subjects they depicted were almost exclusively landscapes--including forested views, panoramas, and animal scenes--and representations of the lives of fishermen. They drew inspiration from 17th-century Dutch masters but were also influenced by the French Barbizon painters, following their practice of sketching out of doors and then executing finished oil paintings in the studio.