Portrait of the King's Mistress Nell Gwyn 1697

Curator: It’s melancholic, isn't it? There’s a dreamy stillness about this portrait, a palpable weight to the pose. Editor: This is Mary Beale’s "Portrait of the King's Mistress Nell Gwyn," painted in 1697. Beale was one of the most successful female portrait painters of the late 17th century. And of course, Nell Gwyn herself, was quite a character within King Charles II's court. Curator: Gwyn's story is so intriguing, she really was the ultimate 'rags to riches' character, representing an extraordinary period in British social history, right? Her ascension from selling oranges to royal mistress—what does it tell us about celebrity, then and now? The symbols of wealth are quite demure here: only a simple string of pearls. Editor: Exactly. And in contrast to grand aristocratic portrayals, the work maintains a certain earthiness and familiarity. The softness of Beale’s brushwork conveys a genuine, approachable humanity, despite Nell's position. The lack of overt displays of grandeur perhaps highlights a specific choice – a deliberate construction of Nell’s public persona. Curator: The single pearl earring and simple, though fashionable dress suggest a specific visual vocabulary aimed at tempering any impression of undue opulence; Gwyn wasn't an aristocrat by birth, and the artist perhaps is attempting to be sensitive to her particular position within court and society. One can almost imagine a subtle competition within portraiture of the time, as aristocratic subjects certainly held significant social power in representing their families and position through these type of commissions. Editor: Indeed. Pearls themselves are interesting. While associated with wealth and status, they are also connected to purity, tears, and even the moon. Given Nell's history, were they strategically placed to represent one idea versus another? Considering that in period iconography, long hair represents beauty, strength, sexuality and even freedom, do you think Beale references here those type of ideas and symbolisms? The painting appears as more layered that one could first suggest. Curator: The cultural weight layered within symbols—hair, pearls—that both serve conventional representational purposes as well as carrying contextual implications linked to her fame—it shows a sophisticated and very modern engagement with image making and power! Editor: Absolutely, Beale presents us with not just an image of a beautiful woman but a careful consideration of identity, fame, and perhaps even, a touch of defiance. Curator: A fitting tribute, then, to a woman who broke so many moulds. Editor: One truly gets a vivid sense of both Gwyn and of Beale themselves thanks to this beautiful work of art!