Boyer Gonzales was born in Houston, Texas in 1864 and became known for marine scenes of the sandy shores of the Gulf of Mexico. The son of the President of the Cotton Exchange in Galveston, Gonzales also became a cotton broker as well as a part-time painter while in his twenties.

While living in Galveston he became friends with artist Winslow Homer's brother, who arranged for the two men to meet. Subsequently Boyer Gonzales painted with Winslow Homer for nine summers in Prouts Neck, Maine, and the two became life-long friends.

Gonzales continued his father's business in Galveston while also painting. In the early 1890s, he traveled to the European art centers as well as an extended study trip to Mexico. He studied...