Alexander (nicknamed Alex) Rosemeier was born in Surakarta in 1888. After his mother's death in 1882, the family moved to the Netherlands. When his father died, Rosemeier decided to become a professional soldier. He was then 20 years old and stationed in Leiden. During his military service, he was taught by artist Alphonsus Baeyens. When his contract expired in 1923, he became an independent artist. Now married to Grietje Mast, he supported himself and his family alongside his artistic career with various jobs. From the 1930s onward, his artwork brought in enough money to make a full living. Rosemeier, a member of the Leiden School, primarily painted Dutch landscapes, but also cityscapes, still lifes, and portraits. He found his inspiration in the area around Leiden. Together with Willem Weissenburch, he often traveled around Nieuwkoop and learned a great deal from him, as well as from Floris Verster and Frederik (Frits) Jansen. The painting in the De Witte Zwaan collection probably shows the bulb fields in the area around Noordwijk.