Head and shoulders portrait of a lady 1618 - 1680

Sir Peter Lely rendered this head and shoulders portrait of a lady in monochrome. It is currently located at the SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark. Lely was the most important portraitist in England in the second half of the 17th century, during the English Restoration. He established a legacy of idealised beauty represented here by the sitter’s soft features and elegant curls. This aesthetic was pervasive among the aristocratic class, for whom Lely worked. Looking at Lely’s drawings, it is important to remember that the system of patronage dominated artistic production in England at this time. Artists were dependent on the tastes and demands of powerful individuals. We can learn more about the dynamics of artistic creation in the 17th century by consulting sources such as letters, diaries, and financial accounts from the period. These documents show us how the social conditions of the time shaped the art we see today.