The duke (later king james ii and vii) and duchess of york (previously anne hyde) were painted by peter lely in between 1668 and 1670. Their two daughters, mary (left) and anne (right), later queen mary ii and queen anne, were added by benedetto gennari in or after 1680. Windsor castle is in the background. "this group portrait is based upon a double portrait design by lely of the duke and duchess of york, of which other versions exist, the finest being at petworth. Lely presumably started a version in around 1668-70 which was also to include the duke's two daughters. The figures and the curtain had probably only been blocked in by lely before his death in 1680, after which benedetto gennari was commissioned to finish the composition. The contrast between the two artist's approach to depicting costume is evident when comparing the plain brown silk satin dress of the duchess of york, which is of a colour and simple construction favoured by lely, with the clothing of princess mary, whose dress by contrast is of a densely brocaded blue silk with a pleated waistline and leading strings attached to the shoulders. " [1]. Date: circa 1668-1685. Dimensions: height: 168.6 cm (66.3 in); width: 194 cm (76.3 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Royal Collection. The Duke and Duchess of York with their two daughters.
Loading...
