Jan van der Kooi belongs to the circle of Northern Netherlandish realists, painters who studied at the Groningen Academy Minerva and who see observation as their main source of inspiration. Van der Kooi was mainly formed by his teacher Matthijs Röling. His oeuvre includes landscapes, still lifes, portraits, nudes and animals. In his early still lifes, often characterized by a dark background, Van der Kooi focuses on the elaboration of the objects, the expression of the material, light and colours. In recent years, space and light have increasingly been the subject of his paintings. The artist also made a name for himself as a draftsman. Drawing is the best way of looking for him and is also the basis of his painting.