L.J. Kleijn was born in 1817 in the town of Loosduinen, near The Hague. As a talented young artist he was invited to join the elite studio of the great Dutch master Andreas Schelfout (1787-1870), in The Hague. Schelfhout was a prominent artist of the Romantic School and his studio was also frequented by J H Weissenbruch, J Jongkind and Charles Leickert. In the context of Schelfhout’s studio, Kleijn absorbed as much as he could from the great master’s painting techniques. He addressed the same subject matter, depicting both summer and winter landscapes, often set by the water’s edge. His finest work is marked for its exquisite finish and outstanding attention to detail, and a palette of soft warm hues. He often combines a pastoral scene with details of a modern, urbanizing Holland all-the-while retaining a sense of the timeless to his landscapes. Kleijn was enjoyed high recognition and success as an artist. He exhibited in The Hague and Amsterdam between 1842 and 1894, and he enjoyed patronage from a wealthy middle class of citizens, in whose homes his work was highly prized. His work is among the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. He passed away in 1897.