Lely, Sir Peter (1618-1680), a Dutch-born painter, dominated English portrait painting from 1650 until his death. Lely was especially known for his portraits of English royalty and famous naval personalities. Lely was a popular artist both during the Commonwealth period (1649-1660) and the Restoration, which began with the return of King Charles II to the English throne in 1660. Charles II appointed Lely court painter in 1661 and, in 1680, knighted him. Lely painted portraits of many members of the court of Charles II. Today, several of Lely’s portraits hang in Hampton Court Palace and in the Great Hall at Greenwich.
Lely was born on Sept. 14, 1618, in Utrecht, the Netherlands. His real name was Pieter van der Faes. He studied art in the Netherlands and settled in England about 1641. He died on Nov. 30, 1680.
