Willem Vester, painter of mainly romantic summer and winter landscapes, lived and worked most of his life in Haarlem. He was the son of a master mason but his remarkable artistic talent allowed him to become an apprentice to Jan Jacob Spohler, who influenced his style and choice of subject. For more than fifty years, from 1841 to 1895, he participated in the annual Exhibition of Living Masters. Cityscapes and portraits of him are also known. Willem Vester was the grandfather of the well-known sculptor Mari Andriessen.