Simon de Vos was a pupil of Cornelis de Vos (although of no relation), and by 1620 he was a master in the Antwerp Guild of St Luke. It is possible that he spent some time in Rubens' studio, and travelling around Italy. His reputation was considerable among his contemporaries; Rubens owned a painting by him and his portrait was painted by Abraham de Vries in 1635 (Museum Maagdenhuis, Antwerp, no.146), as well as by van Dyck, en grisaille (a copy of which is at Port Elliot), and in chalk (Paris, Vey 1962, no.269). The present composition relates to the grisaille, whereas an engraving by Paulus Pontius shows the portrait in reverse (New Holl., II, 99), and the drawing is more loosely composed.