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| 598. Sir Peter Lely (British, 1618-1680), “Portrait of a Distinguished Gentleman”, c. 1670; oil/canvas, 30" x 24", unsigned, artist’s name printed on the front of frame (similar to a nameplate, except painted directly on frame), which is a period ornate hand-carved wooden frame. Highly important British portrait painter of the 17th century. Lely succeeded Anthony Van Dyke as the leading portrait painter in London after Van Dyke’s death in 1641. Lely secured the patronage of a group of noblemen, including the Earls of Leicester, Salisbury, Pembroke, and Northumberland (who were all prominent in court before the Civil War, and had remained in London during the conflict). By the early 1660s, Lely was given an annual pension by Charles II, and was naturalized. From the 1640s through the late 1670s, and the emerging popularity of Godfrey Kneller, Lely had virtually no competition. Lely was knighted in January of 1680, and died in late November of the same year. 3000-5000 | |||||||||||