Portrait Lady Elizabeth Howard (1656-1681), Lady Felton Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680)

LADY ELIZABETH HOWARD (1656-1681), LADY FELTON (1656-1681) Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680) and his workshop. Large 17th-century portrait of Lady Elizabeth Howard, later Lady Felton, oil on canvas, by Sir Peter Lely/Workshop. Bust-length portrait of Lady Howard in a garden, of exceptional quality and condition. She wears an amber dress, a low-cut white chemise, her head turned to the left but her gaze fixed on the viewer. Her arm rests on a stone mantelpiece, a rich blue drape across her back held by a brown strap over her left shoulder. Professionally relined, this canvas is in perfect condition. We can provide you with a quote for Lely framing, to be completed before shipping. Provenance: Private collection, Yorkshire, UK. Biography: The sitter was the daughter and co-heiress of James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk and 3rd Baron Howard of Walden (1619-1688/9). Both her father and his wife held important positions at court, and it was therefore inevitable that Elizabeth Howard would follow a similar path, especially as she began to reveal her beauty. In July 1675, she eloped with Thomas Felton, whom she later married, then a mere footman. This affair does not appear to have harmed their careers, as he went on to become Controller of the Queen's Household, and she was thus able to maintain relationships with prominent courtiers, including the poet Earl of Rochester, who mentions her in several of his poems. His only daughter, Elizabeth Felton, married John Hervey, the future 1st Earl of Bristol (1665-1751), in 1695; Hervey resided at Ickworth. Dimensions: approximately 127 cm x 102 cm (unframed)