Inscribed at lower right in pen and brown ink: "J Luiken"; on verso, in graphite: "Johann van Luyken [?]"; in pen and black ink: "Jan Luyken 1649 - 1712".
The group of figures, who converse casually in this pen and ink sketch, are typical of Luyken's interest in scenes of everyday life, a genre that was incredibly popular during the Golden Age of the Dutch Republic. The handling of subtly differentiated ink washes that detail shadows and the barely tangible architectural structures in the background recall other drawings by Luyken; for example, his "Two Scenes" now in the Boymans Museum, Rotterdam (numbers 21 and 22). The letter "A" above one of the primary figures indicates that this drawing was likely translated to a print with a corresponding didactic inscription.
McCrindle, Joseph F., former owner.