Marie Henri Mackenzie had a high position with an oil company before he devoted himself entirely to painting at the age of 45. He took lessons with G.H. Breitner in Amsterdam and developed into a spontaneous and lively impressionist, who recorded urban life in his paintings without worrying about details. His favorite subjects were Amsterdam city life and piling, demolition and excavations. He showed himself to be a right-minded pupil of Breitner. His palette was once dark, then again he used strongly contrasting color masses in which yellow and warm red predominate.