Simon Verelst - Portrait of Nell Gwyn, Simon Pietersz Verelst

Portrait of nell gwyn (1650-1687), mistress of charles ii of england "in this portrait nell is holding a six-petalled flower which has been identified as jasmine. As a flower painter, verelst would have been familiar with jasmine’s structure and its traditional inclusion in portraits to signify the amiable nature of a sitter. Jasmine is well-known for its intoxicating scent, and this combined with its almost translucent petals and fragility, allows verelst to play with the senses of sight, smell and touch, recognised devices characteristic of seventeenth-century dutch painting. " [1]. Date: 17th century. Dimensions: height: 103.2 cm (40.6 in); width: 126.1 cm (49.6 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Unidentified location.