Portret van Sir Peter Lely

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

This intimate portrait on paper depicts Sir Peter L, the celebrated Baroque painter became the leading portrait at the English court of II. Created by Dutch engraver and publisher Gerard Valck during his active years from 1662 to 1726, the modest sheet (198 × 141 mm) likely served as a reproductive print, allowing Lely’s image to circulate among collectors and admirers across Europe. Valck specialized in translating painted likenesses into affordable prints, helping to spread the fame of prominent artists and sitters. The work’s paper medium underscores the growing importance of graphic repro...

About the Artist

Gerard Valck · 1652–1726

Gerard Valck (1652–1726) was a Dutch engraver, publisher, and cartographer whose career bridged the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age and the 18th-century Enlightenment. Born on September 30, 1652, in Amsterdam to a silversmith father, and dying on October 21, 1726, Valck played a crucial role in introducing and developing mezzotint printmaking in England while also establishing a significant publishi...