Studio of Sir Peter Lely

Oil on canvas, with an old glue lining. The canvas is somewhat slack on the stretcher, with a stable web of craquelure and visible stretcher bar marks. The painting is under a dirty and dull old varnish and the surface has been a bit pressed in the aforementioned relining. Overall, the paint surface has been well retained and the figure reads very well. There are some losses in the fringe of the curtain at middle left and the darker areas of the curtain have lost some of their definition. Examination under UV light: there is a retouched area over a probable old repaired puncture in curtain at upper left (patched on the reverse), and another possible old repaired puncture in the background architecture at upper right. There are some other small scattered retouches in upper background and on curtain fringe. The figure looks good with just two areas of retouching in her red drapery that fluoresce, one on right shoulder and the other lower right below her hand. In a black wood frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The question of likeness with Lely is always a difficult subject as even his contemporaries commented on the fact that many of his sitters looked similar – 'Mr Walker, ye Painter swore Lilly's Pictures, was all Brothers and Sister'. This sitter bears strong affinities to those in other works which have traditionally been called Nell Gwyn, the longtime mistress of Charles II and among Lely's most famous subjects, with whom many portraits by Lely and his studio have been associated, both correctly and incorrectly. 

1. The diary of Samuel Pepys, 18 April 1666.