Ary de Vois Utrecht 1630/5 - 1680 Leiden

Another study of a young man reading, extremely comparable in execution as well as subject and also drawn on vellum, is in the Prentenkabinet der Rijksuniversiteit, Leiden (inv. nr. AW 151).  That drawing is fully signed by De Vois, and although the monogram on the present drawing does not closely resemble the handwriting on the Leiden drawing, the stylistic parallels are so striking that the two drawings must be by the same hand.  De Vois trained first in Utrecht with Nicolaus Knüpfer and then with Abraham van den Tempel in Leiden, where he became a member of the Guild of St. Luke in 1653.  Most of his works are history paintings, but he also made genre scenes and portraits.  In their scale and style, his paintings usually reflect the influence of the Leiden 'Fine' painters, and in particular Frans van Mieris.