Bernardus Johannes Blommers was born in The Hague on January 30, 1845 and is considered an early Hague School painter. He received his artistic training at the Hague Art Academy and was an apprentice of Jacob Maris. He shared a studio with Anton Mauve and two of Maris’ sons, Matthijs and Willem Maris. Together with Willem he made a trip along the Rhine river in 1865.

Blommers was a pupil of the renowned Jozef Israels as well. The influence of Israels is clear in the work of Blommers. However, where Israels focused on the hard life of peasants and fishermen, Blommers emphasizes the peaceful moments in the life of people from the lower classes. His scenes are therefore more cheerful compared to those of Israels. Mothers with their children are often subject in his paintings, drawings and watercolours.

During his life Blommers worked mostly in the surroundings of his hometown. He was attracted by the beach in Katwijk and Scheveningen and worked in the North of the Dutch province Brabant as well. Furthermore, Blommers painted a part of the 120 meters long painting in Panorama Mesdag, a museum in The Hague dedicated to the work of marine painter H.W. Mesdag and the Hague School.

J. Gram, 'Scheveningen in Blommers' atelier', Kunstkronijk NS 17 (1875), p. 65-66;
A.G.C. van Duyl, 'B.J. Blommers', Elsevier' s Geïllustreerd Maandschrift 2 (1892), p. 317-332;
H.P. Bremmer, Moderne Kunstwerken, Amsterdam 1908;
D.A.S. Cannegieter, 'Blommers, een schilder uit de Haagse School', Antiek 7 (1972-1973), p. 446-461;
R. de Leeuw, J. Sillevis, Ch. Dumas, cat.tent. De Haagse School - Hollandse Meesters van de 19de eeuw, Parijs (Grand Palais), Londen (Royal Academy), Den Haag (Haags Gemeentemuseum) 1983, p. 14, 166-169;
J. Sillevis, R. Dorn, H. Kraan, cat.tent. De Haagse School - de collectie van het Haags Gemeentemuseum, Den Haag (Haags Gemeentemuseum) 1988, p. 108-113;
Tiny de Liefde-van Brakel, B.J. Blommers (1845-1914), Katwijk 1993;
P. Thoben, cat.tent. Tussen realisme en impressionisme. Aquarellen van meesters van de Haagse School, Eindhoven (Museum Kempenland ) 2000/2001, p.51;
M. Jonkman, E. Geudeker, Mythen van het atelier. Werkplaats en schilderpraktijk van de negentiende-eeuwse Nederlandse kunstenaar, Zwolle 2010, p. 51.

De Haagse School; Hollandse Meesters van de 19de eeuw, Parijs (Grand Palais), Londen (Royal Academy), Den Haag (Haags Gemeentemuseum) 1983;
De Haagse School; de collectie van het Haags Gemeentemuseum, Den Haag (Haags Gemeentemuseum) 1988;
B.J. Blommers (1845-1914), Katwijk (Katwijks Museum) 1993;
Tussen realisme en impressionisme. Aquarellen van meesters van de Haagse School, Eindhoven (Museum Kempenland ) 2000/2001;

Work by B.J. Blommers is represented in the collections of diverse Dutch museums, among others the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.