There he began to draw sketches, which are collected in two volumes. Until 1894 he lived in Amsterdam, when he married Titia van Gelder and moved to Soest. In 1901, he spent another year in Spain and Morocco. He moved back to Haarlem in 1913, when the orphanage where he grew up was converted to the Frans Hals Museum. He bought a house on the corner of the Haarlemmerhout park, where he was often seen taking walks and served as an inspiration for Godfried Bomans, among others. After his death this house was converted to a museum in his name (now only visible with a plaque on the facade).