Jacob Sijbout de Vries painted landscapes, plants and flowers, but also cityscapes and crowds (cafes, markets). Initially his style is impressionistic, later he worked in tighter lines and surfaces. The attractive thing about his paintings is the use of color: his tones are muted and restrained, creating a harmonious image. De Vries was born in Sneek, but spent most of his life in Haarlem. There he studied at the School of Arts and Crafts. He learned the painting profession from Henri Frédéric Boot, nestor of the Haarlem School, and from the expressionist Roelof Klein. In 1967 the painter returned to Friesland.