Herman Kruyder developed his own Expressionist style with flat planes, heavy contours and intense colours. Central to his early works, such as this watercolour, is an idyllic vision of nature and rural life. Kruyder made many outdoor studies in the woods and in the dunes near Haarlem. It was probably there that he found the maritime pine, which also grows on sand drifts. This Mediterranean conifer occurs sporadically in the Netherlands and is easily recognised by its long needles and large pinecones.