The city of Amsterdam was the main source of inspiration for the painter Dirk Johannes van Haaren. In addition, he made well-known depictions of cattle in the surrounding Amsterdam polder landscapes, in the typical Hague School style. From the 1940s he mainly paints riders and horses. Van Haaren was self-taught, but had the greatest talent for depicting the atmosphere on the canvas. He was also a member of the Amsterdam artists' association Arti et Amicitiae