Max Nauta painted dreamy landscapes, allegories and cityscapes, especially of Amsterdam. The courtyards and streets depicted by him are a highly subjective representation of reality, in which he strove for a certain simplified expression of light. The skies therefore play an important role in his work. Nauta received his education at the progressive Rijkssschool voor Kunstnijverheid and then at the Rijksacademie in Amsterdam. In addition to paintings, he also made murals and stained glass windows for churches in Woerden, The Hague and Delft.