Willem George Frederik Jansen was born in Harlingen in 1871, he died in Blaricum in 1949. Willem Jansen started out as a decorative painter but eventually became an artist. Jansen mainly painted landscapes, beach views and cityscapes, influenced by the Hague School. His Dutch landscapes are mainly inspired by the work of Jacob Maris.

Before establishing himself as a free painter in Blaricum in 1908, W.G.F. Jansen as a decorative painter at the Rozenburg porcelain factory in The Hague and as a pottery designer in Gouda. His work can be characterized as an afterglow of the Hague School.

It was Jacob Maris in particular whom he admired, which is reflected in his smooth thinking and love for the purely Dutch landscape. He painted sea and beach views, intimate farmyards, river views under high skies, meadow landscapes and quiet heathland landscapes with sheep. He was widely praised for his highly developed sense of color nuances, especially in colored whites, greens and grays.