A panoramic landscape, presumed to be Frankfurt

Anthonie van der Croos primarily painted landscapes influenced by Jan van Goyen. Van der Croos spent most of his career in The Hague, where he became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke by 1647. He also, however, became a founding member of the Confrerie Pictura in 1656, an organization created by painters unhappy with their local guild. In the wake of the Reformation, the organizers felt a more robust approach was needed to counteract the loss of church commissions and the protections the church offered, as well as to manage the influx of painters from cities like Antwerp.

Frankfurt's strategic position on a hill overlooking the river meant the walled city was naturally well defended. It was a bustling city of art and trade from the 16th century onwards bolstered further by the invention of the printing press in nearby Mainz. By 1655, when van der Croos depicted Frankfurt, it had been declared an Imperial Free City, a privilege which accorded the city a degree of autonomy and representation in the Imperial Diet.