The Hague to Amsterdam The Hague, 1873. Simon Willem Maris enters the world as the son of Willem Maris, a man already established within the landscape traditions of the Hague School. The early years are defined by the shadow of his father’s brush. He begins his training under that very same hand, learning the mechanics of paint and light through direct lineage. However, the heavy, realistic landscapes of his father do not hold him. A different pull exists elsewhere. The path leads away from the familiar soil of The Hague toward the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. In 1895, he enrolls th…