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Drapery study for Countess of Rochester painting, Hampton Court

Maker

(artist)
1618-1680

Formerly attributed to
(artist)
1656-1687

Title

Drapery study for Countess of Rochester painting, Hampton Court

Date of Production

(circa) 1665

Medium

black, white and red chalk on brown laid paper; also large swathes of lighter red chalk that could be offset from another drawing

Dimensions

Height: 38.7 cm
Width: 26.9 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.851

Mode of Acquisition

Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords






Related Works

Study of arm and hand

Label Text

This drawing, a preparatory study for his portrait of Henrietta Boyle, Countess of Rochester, exemplifies Lely’s assured handling of the volumes and textures of fabric. The loose swathes of the sitter’s rich russet dress, pooling around her arm and draping towards the bottom of the page, deftly direct the viewer’s eye across the composition. The practice of creating detailed drapery studies, which could later be handed to his assistants as teaching tools and working drawings, is also typical of Lely’s portraiture.

Notes

A study for the left side of the Countess of Rochester painting, Hampton Court (RCIN 404961), dated circa 1665.

Provenance

Peter Lely (1618-1680), L.2092 (lower centre); probably his estate sale, Sonnius, Lankrink and Thompson (Covent Garden), 11-18 April 1688; Thomas Hudson, London (1701-1779), L.2432 (lower right); possibly his estate sale, Langford (Covent Garden), 15-27 March 1779, first night's sale, lot 2 (thirty-four studies by Sir Peter Lely &c) or lot 6 (sixteen studies by Lely and Riley); E. Parsons & Sons (London); purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), L.2228b (verso, lower right), n.d. (£1.4); Witt Bequest 1952

Exhibition History

Special Display - Peter Lely - The Draughtsman and his Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 24/09/2012-13/01/2013

Sir Peter Lely, National Portrait Gallery, London, 17/11/1978-18/03/1979

Literature

Sir Peter Lely, National Portrait Gallery, 1979, 1978
no. 67

Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 32

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Inscription: Verso: lower left, graphite: "851".

Collector's mark: Recto: lower centre, stamped in black: Peter Lely (L.2092); lower right, stamped in black: Thomas Hudson (L.2432). Verso: lower right corner, stamped in black: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).

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