Portrait of a Lady

Lely studied painting in Haarlem and in 1641 moved to London, where he made his reputation as a portrait painter; he was also a great collector of old master drawings. His own drawings are extremely delicate and refined. This portrait of a young woman demonstrates the artist's exquisite technique and shrewd use of color. Probably a finished work in its own right, the drawing is signed and dated P. Lely / 1658. -- Exhibition Label, from "Life Lines: Portrait Drawings from Dürer to Picasso."