Vleughels was described by Mariette in the Abecederio as a painter who 'hardly knows how to draw'. Oil was his favorite medium, and Rubens and Veronese were his sources of inspiration. The latter's influence is particualarly evident in the present drawing. The few drawings by the artist, mostly in the Louvre, were collected by the Comte d'Orsay and typically combine oil, pastel or chalk, J.-F. Méjanès, Les collections du comte d'Orsay: dessins du Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1983, nos. 67-73, illustrated. Vleughels' love for color is reflected in his choice of oil on all kinds of support including metal, panel and paper. B. Herenberg, Nicolas Vleughels, Paris, 1975, nos. 116-8