Henri Frédéric Boot (1877-1963) was seen as an eccentric painter. After a brief period studying classical languages, Henri Boot turned to art, developing into a painter of carefully elaborated still lifes and portraits. The still lifes in particular – often depicting random corners of Boot’s cluttered studio – can be seen as representative of his artistic vision. According to Boot, a painter should focus on the beauty of everyday reality – the subject depicted was of less importance. This view bears witness to Boot’s strong affinity with the Movement of 1880, a literary group including authors like Lodewijk van Deyssel.. Boot’s philosophy can also be traced back to classical notions of detachment and equanimity. Boot had a remarkably strong impact on student and artist Kees Verwey. Verwey joined Boot in his view of still life as the highest form of painting. Still life not only placed strong demands on the artist’s powers of observation, but also on his ability to depict objects’ spatial characteristics in a clear and intimate arrangement.