He was a pupil of Lawrence Alma-Tadema and for about four years a friend and mentor of Vincent van Gogh, who is said to have appreciated him for his social engagement, among other reasons.
Ia adalah murid Lawrence Alma-Tadema dan teman dan pembimbing empat tahun Vincent van Gogh, yang dikatakan mengapresiasikannya karena bawaan sosialnya, selain alasan lainnya.