Gerbrand Frederik van Schagen was born on March 7, 1880 in The Hague. The young Gerben received his painting training at the Academy in The Hague. He was also taught by the painter W.B.Tholen, who himself was a student of one of the most important painters from this area: Paul J.C. Gabriel.

After his training Gerben first had to earn a living as a house and decorative painter. He did this until about 1911, after which he was able to work as a completely independent and very deserving painter. After 1918 he gained a lot of fame in the Gooi (including Laren, Kortenhoef).

Van Schagen was pre-eminently a painter of the Dutch landscape. He did not limit himself to the surroundings of his hometown The Hague, later also Laren, but crossed the whole country, often returning to North and South Holland, including Amsterdam (harbours and cityscapes), and often in the Gooi and Loosdrecht, where he was captivated by the vast polder landscapes and the sweeping views of lakes. He was also drawn to the tranquil villages of Friesland and the rolling landscape of South Limburg. His main aim was to reproduce the character and mood of the landscape and its towns and villages, as it appeared to him at a certain time of the day.

This originally Hague painter drew (pen drawings), watercolored and painted many excellent polder landscapes and village and town views, initially also in the style of the Hague School. Later, he developed much more of his own distinctive impressionistic style.

In addition to being a painter, G.F. van Schagen is an excellent restorer of paintings. He followed his own method and earned a well-stocked sandwich with this. He was also an active member of one of the best-known artists' associations Arti et Amicitiae and of course the Gooise Schildersverening. Van Schagen died on October 4, 1968 at the age of 88 in the artists' village of Laren, where he had lived and worked a lot since 1918. Various work by this painter is included in the collection of the Singer Museum van Laren.