October 14, 1618

Peter Lely (October 14, 1618 to December 7,1680) was the court painter of Restoration England. His dates are different depending on the source, and it is possible October 14 is a baptism date). His genius is apparent in the following examples of his art.

Lely's portratt of Charles II's queen, Catherine of Braganza (1638 to 1705)





His portrait of their daughter Princess Isabella (1676-1681)





Here is his portrait of Nell Gwynne, one of the King's many mistresses





And Lely's portrait of the Duke of Monmouth, (1649-1685) Charle's illegitimate son who was later hung for leading a revolt against the throne





How lovely to read that Peter Lely was not just influential on, but friends with, England's first professional female portrait painter, Mary Beale (1633-1699). Here is an example of Beale's work:






This was painted in 1680, the year Lely died, so it is not clear if he saw the cat picture of Beale's. Lely painted Beale's son Bartholomew--