Hessel de Boer is known for his charming townscapes, initially painted in an impressionistic style, later in pointillist compositions made up of pastel dots and dashes. Living in The Hague, many of his works record the city's seasonal transformations: hazy summer mornings, a day in autumn, the fullness of summer. People are noticeably absent. De Boer was a member of the city's art society, the Haagsche Kunstkring, and of Pulchri Studio, and showed his work at the Singer Museum in Laren.