The young Jacobus Buys possibly became interested in Art through Egidius Beukelaar, the son of his boss Johannes Beukelaar in whose office Jacobus worked as an attorney. Encouraged by the collector Sybrand Feitama Jacobus received his first apprenticeship to Cornelis Pronk (1691-1759) and later enrolled to the Amsterdam Drawing Academy (where he would become director in 1768, by then named the Stads Tekenacademie) in 1743 where he became apprenticed to Cornelis Troost (1696-1750).[1][2]
Jacobus started as portraitist in pastel, the medium for which his master Troost was so well renowned, although his pupil would leave the medium soon after. Buys was proficient in oil paintings depicting regents, full-length portraits and family portraits and was very inventive as well as productive as a book-illustrator. Also like Troost he was a productive draughtsman of theater and playwrights. He was believed to have been infuenced by Jacob de Wit (1695-1754) as well, a thesis affirmed by the present drawing of an allegory on the Arts of Drawing and Painting with four putti in a classicist garden decorated with vases and busts. The use of thin and bright watercolour recalls the influence of his first master Cornelis Pronk.[3][4][5][6]
[1] Van der Eijnden and van der Willigen, Geschiedenis der Vaderlandsche Schilderkunst.
Haarlem, 1816-1840. Vol. II, p. 85-88.
[2] J.W. Niemeijer, Cornelis Troost 1696-1750.
Van Gorcum & Comp. B.V. Assen, 1973. p. 118-124.
[3] P. Knolle, 'De Amsterdamse stadstekenacademie, een 18de-eeuwse 'oefenschool' voor modeltekenaars', Nederlands Kunsthistorisch Jaarboek 30 (1979), p. 1-41
[4] E. Löffler, 'Jacobus Buys (1724-1801)',
Delineavit et Sculpsit no. 34 (December 2010), p. 38-40
[5] Kabinet der Heerlijkste Tekenwerken. Achttiende-eeuwse Nederlandse Tekeningen uit de Verzameling van de Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België.
Uitgeverij Snoeck, Gent en de Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België, Brussel, 2019. p. 87-89.
[6] J.W. Niemeijer, Hollandse aquarellen uit de 18de eeuw.
Waanders Uitgevers, Zwolle/Rijksprentenkabinet, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, 1990. p. 34-35.
