Johannes ten Kate painted beach scenes, landscapes and genre scenes in a Romantic-Impressionistic style. The son of J.M.H. ‘Mari’ ten Kate and cousin of H.F.C. ten Kate, who were both Romantic genre painters, Johannes grew up in an artistic family. He probably took lessons from his father. He was a member of Pulchri Studio, an art society in The Hague. Works by J.M. ten Kate can be found in the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague.