Object Description
Portrait of a lady, circa 1645, in a feigned oval, wearing a sumptuous green silk gown with a cloak draped over one shoulder, with fair hair curled in the fashionable ringlet style of the period, her full red lips highlighting her delicate pale complexion.
Oil on canvas in a ‘Lely’ giltwood frame.
The lady, who’s identity is presently unknown would most likely have been from aristocratic or court circles who were Lely’s main source of patronage. Lely (1680-80) , an artist of dutch origin, succeeded Anthony Van Dyck as painter to the King in 1661 and his painting style and portrayal of feminine beauty creating the ‘court look’ was hugely popular, continuing to have a strong influence on English portraiture throughout the 17th century.