Lely, Sir Peter

Lely, Sir Peter (lē`lē), 1618–80, Dutch portrait painter in England. His original name was Pieter van der Faes. He studied in Haarlem but worked in England from c.1643. After the death of Van Dyck he became court painter in 1661. Lely painted in turn the great figures of the court of Charles I, the Protectorate, and the Restoration. His portraits are colorful, elegant, and flattering. Examples of his work are to be seen in the National Portrait Gallery, London, and at Hampton Court. The Metropolitan Museum has several of his portraits, including those of Sir Henry Capel and Barbara Villiers.

Bibliography

See study by R. B. Beckett (1951).