Willem Gruijter lived and worked in Amsterdam and was a student of the famous marine painter Hermanus Koekkoek Sr. Like his teacher, Gruijter painted almost exclusively sea and river views. His son Jacob Willem followed in his footsteps and also devoted himself to painting marines. In the period 1840-1880 his work was regularly shown in Amsterdam and The Hague at the annual Exhibition of Living Masters. In 1845 Willem Gruijter became a member of the Royal Academy in Amsterdam and in 1853 of the artists' society 'Arti et Amicitiae'.