This splendid mid-17th-century half-length portrait attributed to Flemish artist, Jacob Huysmans (c.1630-1696) depicts a lady wearing a brown and ivory dress decorated with pearls, together with a pearl necklace and earrings. It’s presented in a decorative cartouche.
Deliberately nonchalant and somewhat seductive, she rests her right arm upon her cheek, which draws attention to her alluring eyes. Her hair, a work of art in itself, is ornately worn in numerous curls - one of which is draped over her left shoulder. Her pose is inspired by the numerous portraits by Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680) depicting Charles II’s court beauty, Barbara Villiers (1640-1709), the Duchess of Cleveland.
As you can imagine, the depiction of her resting an arm and looking directly at the viewer with a longing expression, captured the minds of admirers. This, in turn, led to numerous portraits of a similar nature, as we see here. This particular piece is rendered with great skill and is characteristic of Huysmans' spirited brushwork. The cartouche is distinct and unusual, while the pearls are loose in their handling and described with confidence.
The lady's identity is unknown but it's been suggested that she bears a striking resemblance to Anne Hyde (1637-1671), the first wife of James, Duke of York, who later became King James II and VII.
Held in a beautiful 18th-century frame.
Learn more about Jacob Huysmans in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 32” x 37” / 82cm x 94cm
Year of creation: c. 1665
Labels & Inscriptions: Inscribed 'Nell Gwyn' towards the top, referring, erroneously in our opinion, to the English stage actress.
Provenance: Court House, Bolton By Bowland.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. One faint stretcher imprint. Fine craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Later stretcher. Frame in good condition with minor age-related wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £500,000 for ‘Portrait of John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (1647-1680)’, Oil on canvas, Sotheby’s, Old Master & British Paintings, 9 July 2014 (lot 42).
Our reference: BRV2176
