A composition of painted sculptures of saints in a niche surrounded by flowers is a tradition that was started around 1630 by the Antwerp painter Daniel Seghers (1590-1661) and was continued by Jan Davidsz. de Heem and his family, among others. David Cornelisz. de Heem is a grandson of Jan Davidsz. and the son of Cornelisz. de Heem. In 1667 he moved with his parents to Utrecht and later, in 1676, to The Hague. His father trained him as an artist. David would continue painting in the family tradition for the rest of his life. He is, however, considered one of the less gifted members of the De Heem family. The work in the De Witte Zwaan collection probably comes from the studio of David Cornelisz. The artist may have painted this himself, or he may have only added the finishing touches after his pupils had almost completed the work, as was often customary in studios.