Mary Capel (1630–1715), Later Duchess of Beaufort, and Her Sister Elizabeth (1633–1678), Countess of Carnarvon

Curatorial Overview

“Lely was the preeminent English court portraitist in the second half of the seventeenth century, filling the vacancy left by Van Dyck’s early death. His likeness of the aristocratic Capel sisters, a superb example of Lely’s characteristic shimmering draperies and pearlescent flesh tones, pays tribute both to the sitters’ beauty and their accomplishments. Mary, on the left, would become a major patron of botanical research, while Elizabeth displays one of her own flower paintings on the right.”