His full name was in fact Willem Hendrik Wilhelmus van Royen.

 

Dutch painter

Amsterdam 1672 – 1742 Amsterdam 

 

Painter of animal scenes, game pieces and of still lifes.

According to Arnold Houbraken (1721) van Royen was a pupil of Melchior de Hondecoeter.

 

Not to be confused with Willem van Royen I (Haarlem or possibly The Hague circa 1645 – 1723 Berlin), who carried the same first name, but who was no relative. He was also a painter of flower, fruit and game still lifes. He moved in 1669 to Berlin, where he had been summoned as court painter.

 

 

Cockatoos and parrots appear in Flemish, Dutch and English paintings during the second half of the 17th century. Ships of the Dutch East Indies Company brought these exotic animals from Indonesia to Holland, alongside spices, textiles and luxury goods. Few of these beautiful animals must have survived the journey.

With its elegant white plumage, colourful crest and curved beak the cockatoo became a fascinating, prestigious focal point of bird scenes.

Cockatoos appear in just a few rare bird scenes; some examples you may see amongst my comparative works.

 

 

Because it is a marvellous, fully signed and dated painting.