Toon Kelder was born in Rotterdam in 1894 and died in The Hague in 1973. He studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and the Academy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam. His early works were strongly influenced by the expressionists of the Bergen School. Later, his works became lighter in color and more romantic. He painted many nudes, horsemen, musicians, and floral still lifes. After 1945, he worked abstractly and also began working as a sculptor. The still life in the De Witte Zwaan Collection was likely painted between 1930 and 1945.