Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1658

Sir Peter Lely's "Portret van een onbekende vrouw" (1658), a delicate black chalk drawing housed in the Rijksmuseum, depicts an unnamed woman in a three-quarter profile, her head slightly tilted, adding a touch of intimacy to the composition. Her long, flowing hair, styled in a fashionable manner with curls cascading down her shoulders, frames her face and draws the viewer's eye to her features. The soft, muted tones of the drawing, coupled with the delicate lines, create a sense of subtle elegance that was characteristic of Lely's work.