He established a studio in Paris and became a client of Goupil &amp; Cie, but frequently returned to The Hague with friends and would stay at a seaside hotel in Scheveningen. It was during these stays that he began his transition to Impressionism; inspired by the effects of sunlight on the water and the fleeting changes of light and shadow on the sand. His work in this style proved to be successful, both in France and the Netherlands and he was awarded a silver medal at the Exposition Universelle (1889).