Willem was the son of the painter Marcus Ormea and Johanna van Gladbeck. He was born in Utrecht in 1611, and probably learnt the art of painting from his father.^[1][2] He was active in Utrecht between 1634 and 1673, surviving works dating from 1634 to 1658.^[1] In 1638, he gave the Hospital of St. Hiob a painting of various types of fish.^[3] He was a member of the Guild of St. Luke in 1665.^[1] He married Johanna van Veen.^[4]

His paintings were mainly of animals, marine and still lifes with fish,^[1] sometimes in harbours.^[5] Together with his father, he is considered the founder of the still life movement in Utrecht.^[6] He collaborated with Adam Willaerts^[1] and was influenced by JB Wijtvelt.^[1] He had Jacob Gillig as a pupil.^[5]

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  Still life with fish, 1638
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  With Abraham Willaerts: Fish still life with stormy sea, 1636
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  Still life with a basket of sole, 1646
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  Fish still life on a shore

• "Willem Ormea". Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (in Dutch). 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
• Johannes Immerzeel (1848). Schinkel (ed.). De levens en werken der hollandsche en vlaamsche kunstschilders, beeldhouwers, graveurs en bouwmeesters (in Dutch). Vol. I. p. 283. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
• Abraham Jacob van der Aa; Karel Johan Reinier van Harderwijk & Gilles Dionysius Jacobus Schotel (1867). J.J. van Brederode (ed.). Biografisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden (in Dutch). Vol. XIV°. p. 206. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
• Sheila D. Muller, ed. (1997). Dutch Art: An Encyclopedia. pp. 366–402. ISBN 0-8153-0065-4. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
• Donna R. Barnes; Peter G. Rose (2002). Albany Institute of History and Art (ed.). Matters of Taste: Food and Drink in Seventeenth-century Dutch Art and Life. Vol. I. pp. 50–72. ISBN 0-8156-0747-4. Retrieved 24 November 2013.

• Willem Ormea in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
• Willem Ormea on Artnet