BUYS, Jacobus
(b. 1724, Amsterdam, d. 1801, Amsterdam)

Scene from Molière's Tartuffe

c. 1795
Pastel on parchment, 61 x 48 cm
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Jacobus Buys was a pupil of Cornelis Troost, and like his teacher painted and drew scenes from plays. It is sometimes difficult to tell whether pictures are gently comic genre pieces or depictions of actual scenes in plays.