Chrisje van der Willigen made a name for himself with small floral still lifes, especially watercolors. Her work differs from her contemporaries because she does not paint in the style of the Hague School but goes her own way. She is daring and sketches more than she paints. Color is the most important thing, perhaps more important than the subject. The painter was born in 1850 in Haarlem as the daughter of the famous art historian. She received lessons from P.F. van Os and F.G.W. Oldewelt. In 1904 she moved to Brussels for a year and then took lessons at the drawing academy of Antwerp. In 1906 she settled in Laren.