Cornelis Springer was perhaps the most distinguished painter of town scenes of the nineteenth century. Following in the great Dutch tradition of the seventeenth century, artists like Jan van der Heyden (1637-1712), Springer was renowned for his topographical accuracy and detail, combined with his interest in light and the play of light on architectural surfaces. It is no coincidence that his two brothers, Hendrik and Willem Jnr. were accomplished architects.

Springer studied at the Amsterdam Academy, the town of his birth from 1827 until 1835 under Jacobus van der Stok (1795-1864) and Hendrik ten Cate (1803-1856) and then with Kaspar Karsen (1810-1896) between 1835 and 1837. As a painter of town scenes, Springer travelled extensively in Holland and also in Belgium and Germany. In 1847 he was awarded a gold medal of merit and in 1865 was made Chevalier of the Order of Leopold in Belgium. He was instrumental in planning the foundation of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Springer exhibited frequently during his career and, as a teacher, featured Adrianus Eversen (1818-1897) and Johan Adolphe Rust (1828-195) among his pupils.

His works can be found in museums in: Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum; Haarlem; Leiden and Rotterdam.