Theodorus (“Theo”) van Hoytema was born on 18 December 1863 in The Hague. He died on 28 August 1917, The Hague. He lived and worked in Leiden, Delft, Amsterdam, Rijswijk (South-Holland) 1890-1891, Loosduinen until 1894, Voorburg until 1898, Hilversum after 1898, Amsterdam, London 1905, Rijngeest 1905-1906, Voorburg, The Hague (temporary Texel). Van Hoytema studied at the Akademie van Beeldende Kunsten (Academy of Fine Arts) in The Hague. He was a painter but also an aquarellist, etcher and draughtsman, specialising in animals and plants. He was a very skilful draughtsman and lithographer of birds. He was a member of the Amsterdam art society “Arti et Amicitae”. He taught E.H.J. van Eysinga, A.E. Humalda van Eysinga, M. Cramer, Th. F. Goedvrind, Th. G. Meissner, G. Knuttel. He signed: Theo van Hoytema. He exhibited in Amsterdam, Arnhem and The Hague. His work can be found in the collections of Museum Boymans-van Beuningen Rotterdam, Haags Gemeentemuseum, Dordrechts Museum and Centraal Museum Utrecht, Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller Otterlo.