Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680): Dutch Classicist, English Portraitist, and Collector

Brandon Henderson

DISSERTATION.COM

Boca Raton

Copyright © 2001 Brandon Henderson All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

Dissertation.com Boca Raton, Florida USA • 2008

ISBN-10: 1-59942-688-9 ISBN-13: 978-1-59942-688-4

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to pay tribute to those who contributed significantly to this work. First, I want to thank my Mom and Dad for their love and encouragement throughout this project and always. Second, I want to thank Dr. Megan Aldrich and Dr. Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London, for their comments and suggestions. Third, I want to acknowledge the staff at the British Library and the National Art Library within the Victoria and Albert Museum for their support. And finally, I want to thank the library staff at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London, for their assistance.

ii CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... ii

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ...... iv

CHAPTER

I Introduction ...... 1

II From Pieter Van Der Faes to Sir Peter Lely: The Historical Context ...... 8

III Sir Peter Lely: Dutch Classicist ...... 23

IV Sir Peter Lely: English Portraitist ...... 34

V Sir Peter Lely: Collector ...... 53

VI Conclusions ...... 74

APPENDIX

I Regulen: Welcke by een Goet Schilder en Teykenaer Geobserveert en Achtervolght Moeten Werder / Rules: To be Observed and Followed by a Good Painter and Draughtsman. By Pieter Fransz. De Grebber ...... 77

II Sale Catalogue of Sir Peter Lely’s Collection: 18 April 1682 ...... 80

III Principal Painters in Stuart England, 1603-1714 ...... 83

IV Hand List of Paintings and Drawings by Lely in Major Museums, Public Galleries, Royal Palaces, Castles, and Country Houses ...... 84

BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 91

ILLUSTRATIONS ...... 1 00

iii ILLUSTRATIONS

Page Figure

1. Sir Peter Lely, Bathing Nymphs, oil on canvas, 1640, 82 by 99 cm (Musee des Beaux-Arts, Nantes) ...... 100

2. Sir Anthony Van Dyck, William II, Prince of Orange, and his Bride, Mary, Princess Royal of England, oil on canvas, 1641, 182.5 by 142 cm (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) .. 101

3. Sir Peter Lely, Princess Mary (1631-1660), oil on panel, signed and dated Peter van der Faes 1641, 97 by 61 cm (Private Collection) ...... 102

4. Sir Peter Lely, Charles I and James, Duke of York, oil on canvas, 1647, 126.4 by 146.7 cm (Syon House, Collection of the Duke of Northumberland, Brentford) ...... 103

5. Sir Peter Lely, James, Duke of York, Princess Elizabeth, and Henry, Duke of Gloucester: the Children of Charles I, oil on canvas, 1647, 199 by 233 cm (Petworth House, Collection of Lord Egremont, Sussex) ...... 104

6. Sir Anthony Van Dyck, The Three Eldest Children of Charles I, oil on canvas, 1635, 133.4 by 151.8 cm (The Royal Collection of Her Majesty The Queen) ...... 105

7. Sir Anthony Van Dyck, William, Lord Raby, and his Sisters, Lady Anne and Lady Arabella: the Children of the Earl of Strafford, oil on canvas, c. 1636-1640, 208.3 by 163.8 cm (Private Collection) ...... 106

8. Sir Peter Lely, Elizabeth Murray, Lady Tollemache, oil on canvas, 1647-8, 121.9 by 101.6 cm (Ham House, London) ...... 107

9. David Teniers, Self-Portrait with his Family, oil on canvas, c. 1645, 38 by 58 cm (Gemaldegalerie, Berlin) ...... 108

10. Sir Peter Lely, The Concert (Lely and his Family), oil on canvas, c. 1656, 122.9 by 234.8 cm (Courtauld Institute, Lee Collection, London) ...... 109

iv 11. Sir Peter Lely, The Finding of Moses, oil on canvas, c. 1640, 54 by 63 cm (Musee des Beaux-Arts, Rennes) ...... 110

12. Sir Peter Lely, The Finding of Moses, oil on canvas, c. 1640, 94 by 134.5 cm (Whereabouts Unknown) ...... 111

13. Sir Peter Lely, Amorous Couple in a Landscape, oil on canvas, c. 1640, 88 by 96 cm (Musee des Beaux- Arts, Valenciennes) ...... 112

14. Sir Peter Lely, Cimon and Iphigenia, oil on canvas, c. 1650-5, 105.4 by 166.3 cm (Knole, Collection of Lord Sackville, Kent) ...... 113

15. Sir Peter Lely, The History of Europa, oil on canvas, c. 1650, 120.6 by 132 cm (Chatsworth, Collection of the Duke of Devonshire, Derbyshire) ...... 114

16. Sir Peter Lely, Diana with Attendants at a Fountain, oil on canvas, c. 1650, 84 by 122 cm (Whereabouts Unknown) ...... 115

17. Sir Peter Lely, Sleeping Nymphs by a Fountain, oil on canvas, c. 1655, 128 by 144.5 cm (Dulwich Picture Gallery, London) ...... 116

18. Sir Peter Lely, The Infant Bacchus at Play, oil on canvas, c. 1650-5, 62 by 77.5 cm (Helmingham Hall, Collection of Lord Tollemache, Suffolk) ...... 117

19. Cornelis Holsteyn, Triumph of the Young Bacchus, oil on canvas, 1654, 51.5 by 66.5 cm (K. Hermsen Gallery, The Hague) ...... 118

20. Sir Peter Lely, Judith with the Head of Holofernes, oil on canvas, c. 1650-5, 87.6 by 81.2 cm (Collection of the Maharaja of Baroda) ...... 119 21. Sir Peter Lely, Vertumnus and Pomona, called The Letter, oil on canvas, c. 1650, 108 by 85.7 cm (Institute of the Arts, Detroit) ...... 120

22. Sir Peter Lely, Sleeping Girl and Duenna, oil on canvas, c. 1650, 103.5 by 99 cm (Hatfield House, Collection of the Marquess of Salisbury, Hertfordshire) ...... 121

v 23. Sir Peter Lely, Susannah and the Elders, oil on canvas, c. 1650, 104.1 by 152.4 cm (Burghley House, Collection of the Marquess of Exeter, Lincolnshire) ...... 122

24. Sir Peter Lely, The Penitent Magdalen, oil on canvas, c. 1650-5, 184 by 158 cm (The Royal Collection of Her Majesty The Queen) ...... 123

25. Sir Peter Lely, Cimon and Iphigenia, oil on canvas, c. 1650 (Doddington Hall, Collection of the Jarvis Family, Lincolnshire) ...... 124

26. Sir Peter Lely, Portrait of a Girl, oil on canvas, 1640, 61 by 48.3 cm (Private Collection) ...... 125

27. Sir Peter Lely, Portrait of Katherine Wolstenholme, oil on canvas, c. 1643 (Whereabouts Unknown) ...... 126

28. Sir Peter Lely, Portrait of Leonard Grey, oil on canvas, c. 1643, 74.9 by 62.2 cm (Whereabouts Unknown) ...... 127

29. Sir Peter Lely, Portrait of a Man, oil on canvas, c. 1645, 102.9 by 77.5 cm (Bodleian Library, Oxford) ...... 128

30. Sir Peter Lely, Blind Harper, oil on wood panel, c. 1645, 67.3 by 58.4 cm (Althorp, Collection of the Earl Spencer, Northamptonshire) ...... 129

31. Hendrick Ter Brugghen, A Laughing Bravo with a Bass Viol and a Glass, oil on canvas, 1625, 104.8 by 85.1 cm (The Royal Collection of Her Majesty The Queen) ...... 130

32. Sir Peter Lely, James, Duke of York, oil on canvas, 1647, 74.9 by 62.2 cm (Syon House, Collection of the Duke of Northumberland, Brentford) ...... 131

33. Sir Peter Lely, Charles I, oil on canvas, 1647, 74.9 by 62.2 cm (Syon House, Collection of the Duke of Northumberland, Brentford) ...... 132

34. Sir Peter Lely, Portrait of Henry Sidney, later Earl of Romney, oil on canvas, c. 1650, 165.1 by 124.5 cm (Penshurst Place, Collection of Viscount de L’Isle, Kent) ...... 133

vi 35. Sir Peter Lely, A Man Playing a Violin, oil on canvas, c. 1648, 142.2 by 93.3 cm (Whereabouts Unknown) ...... 134

36. Sir Peter Lely, A Girl Playing a Theorbo-Lute, oil on Canvas, c. 1648, 142.2 by 93.3 cm (Whereabouts Unknown) ...... 135

37. Sir Peter Lely, A Man Playing an Eleven-Course Lute, oil on canvas, c. 1648, 109.9 by 88.9 cm (Whereabouts Unknown) ...... 136

38. Sir Peter Lely, A Man Playing a Pipe, oil on canvas, c. 1648, 141 by 104.5 cm (Tate Britain, London) ...... 137

39. Sir Peter Lely, A Boy Playing a Jew’s Harp, oil on canvas, c. 1648, 141 by 102.8 cm (Tate Britain, London) ...... 138

40. Sir Peter Lely, A Man Playing a Violin, oil on canvas, c. 1648, 92 by 85 cm (Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation, Houston) ...... 139

41. Sir Peter Lely, Elizabeth Murray, Countess of Dysart, oil on canvas, 1651, 124.5 by 119.4 cm (Ham House, London) ...... 140

42. Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Henrietta of Lorraine, oil on canvas, 1634, 213.4 by 127 cm (Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood, London) ...... 141

43. Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Lady Elizabeth Thimbleby and Dorothy, Viscountess Andover, oil on canvas, c. 1637, 132.1 by 149 cm (National Gallery, London) ...... 142

44. Sir Peter Lely, The Perryer Family, oil on canvas, 1655, 163.8 by 227.4 cm (Chequers, Buckinghamshire) ...... 143

45. Sir Peter Lely, The Cotton Family, oil on canvas, 1660, 157.5 by 223.6 cm (City Art Galleries, Manchester) ...... 144

46. Sir Anthony Van Dyck, The Family of Endymion Porter, oil on canvas, c. 1640, 127 by 216 cm (Private Collection) ...... 145

vii 47. Sir Peter Lely, Frances Stuart, Duchess of Richmond, oil on canvas, c. 1665, 125.8 by 102.7 cm (Hampton Court Palace, The Royal Collection of Her Majesty The Queen) ...... 146

48. Sir Peter Lely, Henrietta Boyle, Countess of Rochester, oil on canvas, c. 1665, 124.4 by 101.4 cm (Hampton Court Palace, The Royal Collection of Her Majesty The Queen) ...... 147

49. Sir Peter Lely, Flagmen of Lowestoft: Sir Jeremy Smith, oil on canvas, 1666, 127 by 101.5 cm (National Maritime Museum, Greenwich) ...... 148

50. Sir Peter Lely, Portrait of the Artist with Hugh May, c. 1675, 143.5 by 182.2 cm (Audley End, Collection of the Hon. R.H.C. Neville, Essex) ...... 149

51. Sir Peter Lely, Jane Bickerton, Duchess of Norfolk, oil on canvas, 1677, 224.2 by 134 cm (Arundel Castle, Collection of the Duke of Norfolk, Sussex) ...... 150

52. Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Cupid and Psyche, oil on canvas, c. 1639-40, 200.2 by 192.6 cm (Kensington Palace, The Royal Collection of Her Majesty The Queen) ...... 151

53. Tiziano Vecellio, called Titian, Andrians, oil on canvas, 1523-5, 175 by 193 cm (Museo del Prado, Madrid) ...... 152

54. Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Charles I and the Procession of the Knights of the Garter, grisaille oil sketch on panel, 29.2 by 131.8 cm (Belvoir Castle, Collection of the Duke of Rutland, Lincolnshire) ...... 153

55. Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Self-Portrait in an Oval, oil on canvas, c. 1635, 57.3 by 44.3 cm (Collection of the Earl of Jersey) ...... 154

56. Sir Peter Lely, Portrait of the Artist, oil on canvas, 1660, 108 by 87.6 cm (National Portrait Gallery, London) ...... 155

viii 57. Sir Peter Lely, Portrait of the Artist, black chalk on brown paper, c. 1650, 38.7 by 30.4 cm (Private Collection) ...... 156

58. Sir Peter Lely, Sir Edward Hales and his Family, oil on canvas, c. 1655, 172.7 by 233.6 cm (Guildhall, London) ...... 157

59. Sir Peter Lely, Mary Capel, later Duchess of Beaufort, and her Sister, Elizabeth, Countess of Carnarvon, oil on canvas, c. 1660, 130.2 by 170.2 cm (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) ...... 158

60. Sir Peter Lely, Two Ladies of the Lake Family, oil on canvas, c. 1660, 127 by 181 cm (Tate Britain, London) ...... 159

61. Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Sir Walter Pye, oil on canvas, c. 1638, 106 by 87.7 cm (Arundel Castle, Collection of the Duke of Norfolk, Sussex) ...... 160

62. Sir Peter Lely, Portrait of John Maitland, Duke of Lauderdale, oil on canvas, c. 1665-70, 127.1 by 101.6 cm (Private Collection) ...... 161

63. Paolo Caliari, called Veronese, The Blessed Virgin, the Child Jesus, St. Joseph and St. Catherine, oil on canvas, c. 1555-60, 102.9 by 156.8 cm (Timken Museum of Art, Putnam Foundation, San Diego, California) ...... 162

64. Paris Bordone, Venus and Cupid, oil on canvas, c. 1535, 97.7 by 143.3 cm (National Museum, Warsaw) ...... 163

65. Follower of Tiziano Vecellio, called Titian, Mythological Scene, oil on panel, c. 1530-1600, 76.2 by 132.1 cm (National Gallery, London) ...... 164

66. Peter Paul Rubens, Hero and Leander, oil on canvas, c. 1630, 95.8 by 127 cm (Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut) ...... 165

ix 67. Girolamo Francesco Mazzola, called Parmigianino, A Draped Female Figure, brush drawing in Indian ink on pink-tinted paper heightened with white, c. 1535, 23 by 9.9 cm (British Museum, London) ...... 166

68. Sir Peter Lely, Diana Kirke, Countess of Oxford, oil on canvas, c. 1665-8, 132.1 by 104.1 cm (Yale Center for British Art, Collection of Paul Mellon) ...... 167

69. Girolamo Francesco Mazzola, called Parmigianino, A Draped Figure Turned to the Right, red chalk, c. 1535, 14 by 5.1 cm (British Museum, London) ...... 168

70. After Antonio Allegri, called Correggio, Putti with a Goat, red chalk, early sixteenth century, 10.3 by 22.2 cm (Chatsworth, Collection of the Duke of Devonshire) ...... 169

71. Sir Peter Lely, Lady Charlotte Fitzroy, later Countess of Lichfield (1664-1718), oil on canvas, c. 1672, 127 by 101.6 cm (City Art Gallery, York) ...... 170

72. Sir Peter Lely, Princess Isabella (1676-1681), oil on canvas, 1677, 91.4 by 80 cm (The Royal Collection of Her Majesty The Queen) ...... 171

73. Girolamo Francesco Mazzola, called Parmigianino, Infant St. John The Baptist with a Lamb; below, Infant seated in Profile to the Right, red chalk, c. 1535, 15 by 11 cm (Whereabouts Unknown) ...... 172

74. Baldassare Peruzzi, Pan with Nymphs and Satyrs, pen and brown ink and brown wash, heightened with white, squared in black chalk, 17.7 by 24 cm (Chatsworth,Collection of the Duke of Devonshire, Derbyshire) ...... 173

75. Sir Peter Lely, Richard Gibson and his Wife, oil on canvas, c. 1650-5, 165.2 by 122.1 cm (Whereabouts Unknown) ...... 174

76. Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Venus and Cupid, drawing from the Italian Sketchbook, 1621-7 (British Museum) ...... 175

x 77. Sir Peter Lely, Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine, oil on canvas, c. 1662, 191.1 by 131.4 cm (Knole, Collection of Lord Sackville, Kent) ...... 176

xi CHAPTER I

Introduction

25 March 1667: Called at Mr. Lilly’s, who was working; and endeed, his pictures are without doubt much beyond Mr. Hale’s, I think I may say I am convinced; but a mighty proud man he is, and full of state.1

Of the principal foreign aristocratic and society portraitists in England – Holbein,

Van Dyck, Lely, and Kneller – Sir Peter Lely has received the least amount of attention.

Little has been written exclusively on Lely, and only one exhibition has been devoted

entirely to him. His reputation has suffered largely due to: first, the vast number of slick,

glossy portraits of drowsy, sensual beauties and bewigged courtiers associated with the

Restoration court of Charles II, many of which were in fact delegated to his numerous

studio assistants, pupils, and copyists in order to meet the demands of his busy portrait

practice. Second, Lely is often seen as merely successor and “imitator” of Van Dyck, as

well as often criticized for a certain resemblance in all his sitters and an inability to

1 See Samuel Pepys, The Diary of Samuel Pepys, ed. Robert Latham and William Matthews, vol. VIII (London: Bell and Hyman, 1983), p. 129. Hale’s is Pepys’ spelling of the surname of John Hayls (c.1600-1679), a society portraitist who painted the portraits of Samuel and Elizabeth Pepys in 1666. Samuel Pepys’ portrait is currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery, London.

1 capture a true likeness, and an absence of a personal characterization or psychological interest. And third, the elaborate fashions of the perruque period appear to modern eyes as monstrously artificial, almost bordering on caricature. Lely is certainly known for his sensual beauties and bewigged courtiers associated with the spirit, glamour and extravagance of Restoration England; however, his early style owes much to his Dutch origin and training with the pioneers of Dutch Classicism. In England he emulated the style and techniques of Van Dyck, synthesizing his profound Dutch qualities of rich color, dramatic illumination, and romantic landscapes, and ultimately imbuing a sensuality, languor, and luxurious negligence into the traditions and continuity of Van

Dyck’s grand Baroque style of English portraiture. Subsequently, together later with

Kneller, Lely completely dominated British portraiture from the death of Van Dyck in

1641 until Hogarth challenged his style in the first half of the eighteenth century.

This dissertation attempts more than to repair Lely’s reputation; rather, it aims to reveal his genius of superb draughtsmanship, fine color, and lively composition, as well as to examine the artist’s impact and deep impress on British painting. First, Lely’s early style of Dutch Classicism is examined – the distinctive qualities of his early work, and what precipitated a change in his traditions and techniques. Second, this dissertation aims to examine and compare the development of Lely’s portrait style from his arrival in

England in the early 1640s until his death in 1680 – the influence of Van Dyck and other artists on his style, as well as the differences, and to dispel the tradition of Lely as merely successor, or “imitator” of Van Dyck. Finally, this dissertation aims to discuss Lely as

2 collector – considering his acquisitions and the influences, benefits, and effects of one of the largest and most impressive private collections in seventeenth-century Europe.

This dissertation is divided into six chapters. Chapter One introduces the theme, followed by a summary of sources and principal materials used for research. Chapter

Two provides the historical context, exploring Lely’s life and work from his birth in

Soest in 1618, through his training and the influences of the pioneers of Dutch Classicism in Haarlem in the 1630s, to his arrival in England and the influences of Van Dyck and

Dobson in the early 1640s. Lely’s development through the Commonwealth and

Restoration is then examined, when he captured the glamour, sophistication, and extravagance of the time and his work was the most lush and romantic. Finally, Lely’s development through the 1670s is discussed, when liberation, cool restraint, restricted palette, and simplified handling characterized his work.

Chapter Three examines Lely’s work as Dutch Classicist, an oeuvre largely overshadowed by the vast number of aristocratic and society portraits associated with the

Restoration court of Charles II. His early influences and the distinctive qualities of his early work are discussed by analyzing many of the paintings themselves. Also, the

Classical trends in the north and its associations with Rubens, and later Lely, are discussed.

Chapter Four assesses Lely’s role and reputation as leading aristocratic and society portraitist in England, as well as discussing the effects of England on his style

3 and techniques. His development from his early days in England through the

Commonwealth, Restoration, and beyond is assessed, as well as the impact and influences of other artists on his style – in particular, Van Dyck. In addition, while Lely further developed the methods and techniques of Van Dyck, he synthesized a Dutch tradition of rich color, dramatic illumination, and romantic landscapes, and ultimately imbued a sensuality, languor, and luxurious negligence into the traditions of Van Dyck’s grand Baroque style of English portraiture.

Chapter Five discusses Lely as collector. Following the fashion of collecting established by Charles I, Arundel, Buckingham, and artists Rubens and Van Dyck, Lely assembled one of the largest private collections of pictures, sculptures, prints, and drawings in seventeenth-century Europe. His role as arbiter of taste and authority on artistic matters is discussed, as well as the didactic value of the collection, which acted as a substitute for foreign travel and study, and ultimately enabled him to become an exponent of the high Baroque in England. Upon Lely’s death in 1680, his highly important collection was dispersed by auction in a series of well-publicized sales. The

Lely sales of 1681, 1682, 1688, and 1694 brought many important works to the London art market; they were some of the most important sales to date in England; and they were the most spectacular of the modern auction world.

Chapter Six concludes the dissertation. Lely’s role and reputation as the leading portraitist in England are reemphasized, as well as his impact, innovations, techniques, development, and indebtedness to Van Dyck and other artists. In addition, the poetic and

4 characteristic charm of his Classical oeuvre and his role as collector and connoisseur in

seventeenth-century England are reemphasized, as well as the multi-faceted roles of his

well-chosen collection.

There is no up-to-date information on Lely, and surprisingly little has been

devoted exclusively to him. The first accounts of his life and work were written by

Richard Graham in A Short Account of the Most Eminent Painters, both Ancient and

Modern, Charles du Fresnoy’s De Arte Graphica: the Art of Painting, published in 1695,

and Bainbrigg Buckeridge, An Essay towards an English School of Painting, published in

the first half of the eighteenth century.2 Also, Arnold Houbraken discusses Lely in

Grosse Schouburgh der Niederlandischen Maler un Malerinnen (The Great Theatre of

Netherlandish Painters), first published in 1718-21.3 This source is the most important

study on Netherlandish painters of the seventeenth century; however, Houbraken began

the confusion of Lely’s arrival in England by stating that the artist arrived in the suite of

William II of Orange for his marriage to Princess Mary in 1643. In fact, the marriage

took place on 2 May 1641. In 1912 Charles Henry Collins Baker published the definitive

account of Lely’s life and work in Lely and the Stuart Portrait Painters: a Study of

English Portraiture Before and After Van Dyck, providing extensive information on the artist’s methods, techniques, and development, as well as seventeenth-century portrait practice from Van Dyck to Lely, and the numerous contemporaries, rivals, assistants,

2 See Richard Graham, “A Short Account of the Most Eminent Painters, both Ancient and Modern” in Charles Du Fresnoy, De Arte Graphica: the Art of Painting (London: Printed by J. Heptinstall for W. Rogers, 1695); and Bainbrigg Buckeridge, An Essay towards an English School of Painting (London: Cornmarket Press, 1969). 3 See Arnold Houbraken, Grosse Schouburgh der Niederlandischen Maler und Malerinnen (Wien: Braumuller, 1880).

5 pupils, and copyists.4 In 1922 Baker followed with Lely and Kneller, and he provides an

extensive account of Lely’s style, development, characteristics, and quality of the artist

and his influences.5

A Catalogue Raisonne on Lely does not exist; however, Ronald Brymer Beckett’s

Lely, published in 1951, provides the greatest number of the artist’s oeuvre to date, as well as providing an ample introduction to Lely’s life and work.6 As to exhibitions, one

in London from 17 November 1978 through 18 March 1979 has been devoted solely to

Lely.7 The exhibition catalogue was written by Sir Oliver Millar and it is the definitive

source on Lely’s life, work, and development, as well as providing entries devoted to his

large studio practice, use of costume, assistants and pupils, estate, and collection. On

Lely as Dutch Classicist, Jacques Foucart’s “Peter Lely: Dutch History Painter” in

Hoogsteder-Naumann Mercury, no. 8 (1989), and Albert Blankert et al. in Dutch

Classicism in Seventeenth-Century Painting are good sources of references, citing a

number of works from Lely’s Classicial oeuvre.8 On Lely as collector, Frank

Herrmann’s The English as Collectors: a Documentary Sourcebook, Ashmolean

Museum’s Patronage and Collecting in the Seventeenth Century: Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, Jeffrey M. Muller’s Rubens: the Artist as Collector, and Roger North’s The

Lives of the Norths provide important references to Lely. As principal executor of Lely’s

4 See Charles Henry Collins Baker, Lely and the Stuart Portrait Painters: a Study of English Portraiture Before and After Van Dyck, 2 vols. (London: Philip Lee Warner, 1912). 5 See Charles Henry Collins Baker, Lely and Kneller (London: P. Allan and Co., 1912). 6 See Ronald Brymer Beckett, Lely (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1951). 7 See Sir Oliver Millar and National Portrait Gallery, Sir Peter Lely, 1618-1680 (London: Natioal Portrait Gallery, 1978). 8 See Jacques Foucart, “Peter Lely: Dutch History Painter,” Hoogsteder-Naumann Mercury, no. 8 (1989), pp. 17-26; and Albert Blankert et al., Dutch Classicism in Seventeenth-Century Painting (Rotterdam: NAi Publishers, 1999).

6 estate, North devoted an entire chapter to Lely’s affairs.9 Diana Dethloff’s “The

Executors’ Account Book and the Dispersal of Sir Peter Lely’s Collection,” Journal of

the History of Collections, vol. 8, no. 1 (1996), and her “Patterns of Drawing Collecting

in Late Seventeenth- and Early Eighteenth-Century England,” Drawing: Masters and

Methods: Raphael to Redon, as well as the Account Book of Sir Peter Lely, 1679-1691,

provide a detailed account of the “main picture sale” in 1682 and the prints and drawings

sales of 1688 and 1694, respectively; however, the executors closed the accounts in 1691

and the results of the prints and drawings sales are vague.10

Finally, the diaries and letters of Pepys, Evelyn, Beale, and Osborne provide interesting references to Lely, as well as offering fascinating glimpses into the seventeenth-century painting and portrait practice of a Dutch artist in England who, as successor to Van Dyck, emulated the methods and techniques of the Flemish master, further developed his traditions, and subsequently juxtaposed a sensuality, languor, and luxurious negligence into the grand Baroque style of English portraiture. Consequently,

Lely imbedded a deep impress on British painting well into the eighteenth century.

9 See Frank Herrmann, The English as Collectors: a Documentary Sourcebook (London: John Murray, 1999); and Ashmolean Museum, Patronage and Collecting in the Seventeenth Century: Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1985); and Jeffrey M. Muller, Rubens: the Artist as Collector (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1989); and Roger North, The Lives of the Norths, ed. A. Jessopp (London: Gregg International Publishers, 1972). 10 See Diana Dethloff, “The Executors’ Account Book and the Dispersal of Sir Peter Lely’s Collection,” Journal of the History of Collections, vol. 8, no. 1 (1996), pp. 15-51; and Diana Dethloff, ed., “Patterns of Drawing Collecting in Late Seventeenth- and Early Eighteenth-Century England,” Drawing: Masters and Methods: Raphael to Redon (London: Philip Wilson Publishers in Association with the Royal Academy of Arts, 1992), pp. 197-207; and Roger North et al., The Executors’ Account Book of Sir Peter Lely, 1679- 1691 (B.L., Add. MS 16,174).

7 CHAPTER II

From Pieter van der Faes to Sir Peter Lely: the Historical Context

In Days of Ease, when now the weary Sword Was sheath’d, and Luxury with Charles restor’d,… Lely on animated Canvas stole The sleepy Eye, that spoke the melting soul.11

As celebrated in verse by Alexander Pope, Sir Peter Lely is known chiefly for his depictions of sensual, languorous women and bewigged courtiers associated with the

Restoration court of Charles II. However, his early training and style reflect the influence of the pioneers of Dutch Classicism. Upon his arrival in England from

Haarlem, he continued to paint Classical subjects from history and mythology as well as figural compositions in Arcadian landscapes; but he found them unpopular and unprofitable in England, and he turned to the more lucrative field of “painting from life”, or portraiture. The greatest influence on Lely in England was Van Dyck, and as his successor was named “Principal Painter to the King” in 1661. Although clearly inspired by the refined, courtly style and compositional designs of Van Dyck, Lely’s Dutch origin

11 Alexander Pope, Imitations of Horace, ed. John Butt (London: Methuen and Co., 1966), pp. 73-4.

8 and training remain evident in the rich color, dramatic lighting, and romantic landscapes.

As the leading portraitist in England, he executed portraits to standard patterns and

employed a large number of studio assistants, pupils, and copyists. His output was

enormous and often repetitive, and his subjects frequently appear to resemble each other.

However, he was a superb draughtsman and fine colorist, and displayed a genius for

composition. From the mid-seventeenth century, Lely was considered to be the most

fashionable court and society painter in England; and together later with Kneller, he

completely dominated portraiture in England from the death of Van Dyck in 1641 until

Hogarth challenged his style in the first half of the eighteenth century.

Sir Peter Lely, also Lilly, Lilley, Lylly, and Lelij, was born as Pieter van der Faes

in Soest, near Utrecht, on 14 September 1618.12 As a youth, he assumed the nickname of

Lely from a carved lily on the gable of his paternal family’s home in The Hague. The

prominent van der Faes family, perhaps originally from Antwerp, owned this house

called in de Lelye since 1562. Lely’s father, Johan van der Faes, also known as Lely, was

captain of an infantry company in the service of the States General, later serving the

Elector Palatine of Brandenburg. His mother, Abigail Van Vliet, came from an affluent

12 Lely’s date of birth and birthplace are open for discussion. First, although Lely’s date of birth is usually given as 1618, his early biographers list the date as 1617, and his marble monument in the church of St. Paul’s, Covent Garden, recorded his age as 63 at his death in 1680. See Richard Graham, “A Short Account of the Most Eminent Painters, Both Ancient and Modern,” in Charles du Fresnoy, De Arte Graphica: the Art of Painting (London: Printed by J. Heptinstall for W. Rogers, 1695), pp. 343-4; or Bainbrigg Buckeridge, An Essay Towards an English School of Painting (London: Cornmarket Press, 1969), pp. 402-4. Second, Lely’s birthplace is usually listed as Soest in Westphalia, where his father was later stationed in the service of the Elector Palatine of Brandenburg; however, he most likely was born in another Soest, by Amersfoort, near his mother’s home in Utrecht. See Arnold Houbraken, Grosse Schouburgh der Niederlandischen Maler und Malerinnen (Wien: Braumuller, 1880), pp. 181-3; or Sir Lionel Cust, “Sir Peter Lely,” Dictionary of National Biography, ed. Sir Leslie Stephen and Sir Sidney Lee (London: Oxford University Press, 1973), pp. 898-900.

9 family in Utrecht. The couple had at least two children: Katherina Maria, or Catharina,

and Pieter.

From childhood Lely displayed more interest and talent in painting than military

affairs, so his father sent him to Haarlem to study with the eminent painter and art dealer,

Frans Pietersz. de Grebber (1573-1649), who specialized in military company portraits

and history subjects in the Mannerist tradition.13 Lely is first recorded in the warden’s

ledger at the Guild of Saint Luke in Haarlem on 6 October 1637, which requested

outstanding dues from de Grebber for pupils not yet registered – specifically “Pieter

Lelij, Van Campen, Van Heemert, and Van Erckel.14 In November his name appears

again in a payment in the accounts as a pupil of de Grebber. According to Houbraken,

Lely studied with de Grebber for two years and was presumably in Haarlem until 1641,

where he established himself in his own right as a history and portrait painter, despite the

leading portraitists in Haarlem at that time – in particular, Frans Hals.15

An example of Lely’s early work is Bathing Nymphs (fig. 1), Musee des Beaux-

Arts, Nantes. This picture almost certainly dates from Lely’s early years in Haarlem, and

13 In addition to de Grebber’s successful career as painter and art dealer, he was Dean of the Guild of St. Luke in 1616, 1628, 1630, and a Commissioner in 1601. He also served as Rubens’ agent with the English ambassador to The Hague, Sir Dudley Carleton. Examples of the artist’s work can be seen in Haarlem Town Hall and the Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem. See Peter C. Sutton, “Pieter Fransz. de Grebber,” The Dictionary of Art, ed. Jane Turner (London: Macmillan Publishers, 1996), p. 337; or Frima Fox Hofrichter et al., Haarlem: the Seventeenth Century (New Brunswick, New Jersey: the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum and Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, 1983), pp. 92-5. For further information about the de Grebber family of painters, see Adriaan van der Willigen, Les Artists de Harlem (Nieuwkoop: B. de Graaf, 1970), pp. 135-8. 14 See Hessel Miedema, De Archiefbescheiden van het St. Lukasgilde te Haarlem, 1497-1798 (Alphen aan den Rijn: Canaletto, 1980), p. 456; or Albert Blankert et al., Dutch Classicism in Seventeenth-Century Painting (Rotterdam: NAi Publishers, 1999), p. 228. 15 See Houbraken, pp. 181-3; or Cust, p. 898. It is interesting to note that very little, if any, influence from Hals is evident in Lely’s early work.

10 it is signed and dated 1640; however, the date is barely legible due to the picture’s poor condition. The subject depicts nude and partially-clad bathing nymphs and putti the the outdoors, a favorite and recurrent theme in Lely’s early work. The figures are arranged in a triangular structure to the left side of the picture, balanced by water and a curved mass of rocks and distant landscape to the right. The pale, blond flesh tones contrast with the richly colored textures in a wild, unpruned landscape. This work clearly show the influence of Pieter de Grebber (c.1600-1652/3), son of Lely’s teacher, a history and portrait painter of sizeable reputation and one of the pioneers of Haarlem classicism.16

For example, the formalistic qualifites and innovations, the symmetrical composition and poetic harmony are borrowed from de Grebber and characterize this early work by Lely.

In 1641 Lely arrived in England in the suite of William II, Prince of Orange, who was married to Princess Mary, daughter of Charles I, on 2 May. 17 He painted portraits of the royal couple, which “gave general satisfaction” and were “widely appreciated.”18 The well-known double-portrait of Prince William II of Orange and his bride, Princess Mary

16 See Sutton, p. 337. For further information about Pieter de Grebber and his work, see Albert Blankert et al., Gods, Saints, and Heroes: Dutch Painting in the Age of Rembrandt (Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1980), pp. 192-5. 17 There is no documentary evidence to support the date of Lely’s arrival in England, however, it is generally accepted that he arrived in England in the spring of 1641. According to Houbraken, Lely arrived in the train of William II, but he erroneously gave the date of 1643. It is tantalizing to imagine Lely’s introduction to Van Dyck upon his arrival in England. According to Baker, Lely was in England during Van Dyck’s life; however, that he actually met the Flemish master is improbable: “Van Dyck was largely abroad from September 1640, till he returned to London, a dying man, in November 1641.” See Charles Henry Collins Baker, Lely and Kneller (London: Philip Allan and Co., 1922), p. 15; and Margaret R. Toynbee, “Some Early Portraits of Princess Mary, Daughter of Charles I,” Burlington Magazine, vol. LXXXII (April 1943), p. 103. 18 See Cust, p. 898; and Charles Henry Collins Baker, Lely and the Stuart Portrait Painters: a Study of English Portraiture Before and After Van Dyck, vol. I (London: Philip Lee Warner, 1912), p. 140. The present location of these portraits, if they exist, is unknown. Portraits of the Royal couple, once attributed to Lely and formerly in the collection of the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres at Haigh Hall, Lancashire, are no longer believed to be by him.

11 (fig. 2) by Van Dyck (1599-1641), has previously been attributed to Lely, although

efforts to establish his involvement in the portrait remain unconvincing.19

Princess Mary, Daughter of Charles I (fig. 3) is an early portrait by Lely, dating from his first years in England. This portrait is signed and dated: Peter van der Faes

1641, and the Princess is depicted in a palace interior, possibly Whitehall, in front of a rich, silk drapery. The pose and composition are clearly based on Van Dyck’s double portrait of the royal couple. However, the Princess wears a different dress (silver in Van

Dyck’s; gold in Lely’s), and the diamond brooch given to her by William II on the occasion of their marriage and her wedding rign are conspicuously missing, which she proudly displays in the Van Dyck double portrait. Therefore, it is possible that his betrothal portrait of Princess Mary was executed prior to the Amsterdam double portrait and entirely Lely’s own design, and not in fact based on the designs of Van Dyck.20 In addition, a portrait of the Princess Royal or the Royal couple would suggest that Charles I was the first important patron in England of Sir Peter Lely.

In England Lely started off in the studio of George Geldorp – portrait painter, art dealer, agent, and impresario.21 Geldorp may have required assistance in his zealous

19 For further discussion on the possible Lely authorship, see Gustav Gluck, “Reflections on Van Dyck’s Early Death,” Burlington Magazine, vol. LXXIX (December 1941), pp. 193-9; and Leo van Puyvelde, “Van Dyck and the Amsterdam Double Portrait,” Burlington Magazine, vol. LXXXIII (August 1943), pp. 205-7; and Margaret R. Toynbee, “The Early Work of Sir Peter Lely,” Burlington Magazine, vol. LXXXVI (May 1945), pp. 125-7. 20 See Margaret R. Toynbee, “Some Early Portraits of Princess Mar, Daughter of Charles I,” Burlington Magazine, vol. LXXXII (April 1943), pp. 101-3; and Margaret R. Toynbee, “The Early Work of Sir Peter Lely,” Burlington Magazine, vol. LXXXVI (May 1945), pp. 125-7. For further discussion on Lely’s portrait of Princess Mary, see Editorial, “A Picture to be Identified,” Country Life, vol. XCI (20 March 1942), p. 572. 21 See George Vertue, “Notebooks,” Walpole Society, vol. XVIII (1930), p. 74; and Ellis K. Waterhouse, Painting in Britain, 1530-1790, 4th ed. (Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1978), p. 92. According to Waterhouse, Geldorp was involved in Van Dyck’s coming to England in 1632, and most