Willem Koekkoek, son of the marine painter Hermanus Koekkoek Sr., was the only one of the extended family of painters to specialize in the Dutch cityscape. Cornelis Springer was his great example. Koekkoek lived in Amsterdam but made many sketching trips to Dutch cities. In 1888 he must have made a trip to London with his brother Hermanus Jr., who established himself there as an art dealer. His work was therefore regularly traded in the English capital.
Willem Koekkoek is widely regarded as one of the most talented painters of cityscapes. As a true representative of Dutch Romanticism, he emphasized the picturesque character of the Dutch cities. He was not always concerned about the topographical correctness of the composition. His cityscapes of cities such as Utrecht, The Hague, Amstelveen, Kampen or Enkhuizen are a combination of historical reconstruction and fantasy - capriccios. His paintings were especially popular abroad. They corresponded to the idyllic image people had of the old Dutch towns.