The painter of seascapes and plein air painter, Louise Bonfils, was educated at Tegne- og Kunstindustriskolen for Kvinder, under Wenzel Tornøe (1844–1907) and Hans Fischer (1849–1886), and at Kunstnernes Frie Studieskoler under the plein air painters Laurits Tuxen (1853–1927) and P.S. Krøyer (1851–1909). She exhibited regularly at Charlottenborg, but not until 9 years after her debut in 1881, was she able to inscribe herself as a painter of seascapes at Kunstakademiets Kunstskole for Kvinder (The Royal Art Academy for women) in 1890.

Bonfils went on a study tour from 1884 to 1885 in Southern Germany and Italy and later undertook several shorter travels to Paris, Dresden, The Netherlands, Belgium. The painting of seascapes and landscapes influenced by the plein air tradition preoccupied Bonfils through out her career, and as a female painter of seascapes she occupied a unique position in the Danish art world at the time.