Jack Hamel was a dynamic artist who roamed the world. During his travels to the south of France (Corsica), Italy and Indonesia, he became fascinated by the bright colours of the southern light. The city and harbour views he produced there are painted in strikingly bright tones. He also made portraits and nudes, which are sometimes reminiscent of the work of Jan Sluijters. The artist's highly fluctuating moods were reflected in his style: at times he quickly transferred his impressions to the canvas, at other times with great precision. When he was not travelling, Hamel lived and worked in Amsterdam, Zandvoort, Apeldoorn and Laren. He was a student of the Hague Academy and was taught by his father Willem Hamel (1860-1924), the well-known animal painter from the Hague School.