Dutchman with Canal Boat

Alten visted The Hague in 1910 and painted several works in the style of the earlier Hague School masters. The Hague School (1860 to 1890) and Alten were both heavily influenced by the realist painters of the French Barbizon School. Canals have been a feature in Amsterdam since the 1600s, used mainly to transport goods and sometimes people. The water was very unsanitary, as the canals were used as waste disposal due to the city not having a septic system. In the late 1800s, efforts were made to clean the water, and, in the present day, they are sometimes used for swimming by city residents.