Johann Baptist Konrad Bergmüller (1724-1785) was a German artist, art theorist, and art dealer born in Augsburg. One of 10 children, he was trained as an artist and engraver by his father, a well known painter of church frescoes. The younger Bergmüller also painted the walls of noble houses in Augsburg but none of these are extant although some in churches remain. He lived his entire life in Augsburg and we do not know when and, indeed, if he ever travelled to Ceylon. However, a series of plates on Java by the artist indicates a probable visit to Ceylon, perhaps around 1750, the date of this piece.