Willem van Leen is one of the most important Dutch flower painters of the late 18th century. He was born in 1753 in Dordrecht, where his father owned an art and jewelry shop. After training with his father, Willem apprenticed with other Dordrecht painters. In 1773, he moved to Paris, where he devoted himself to painting flowers. There he befriended the influential painter Gerard van Spaendonck. In 1795, he returned to the Netherlands as a celebrated painter of still lifes and flowers and settled in Delftshaven. He is best known for his interior decorations for mantelpieces, doors, and other interiors. The painting in the "De Witte Zwaan" collection was likely intended for mounting above a mantelpiece. It depicts a beautiful and exotic floral still life with a wide variety of flowers, fruit, and birds.