Artwork
John Selden
John Selden is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Peter Lely. It dates from 1659 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.
About this work
Overview
This oil painting, created around 1659, is a portrait of John Selden, an English jurist and scholar. It is the work of Sir Peter Lely, a prominent portrait artist of the time.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, John Selden, is depicted with a neutral expression, gazing directly at the viewer. His long, wavy brown hair and dark attire with a white collar are rendered in detail.
Technique & Style
The painting exemplifies the Flemish Baroque style, characterized by the use of chiaroscuro, a technique that employs strong contrasts of light and dark to create depth and volume. The dark background serves to focus attention on the subject.
History & Provenance
The painting is now held in the Ashmolean Museum. Sir Peter Lely, the artist, was a Dutch-born painter who spent most of his career in England and was later knighted by Charles II.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sir Peter Lely (Dutch: ; 14 September 1618 – 30 November 1680) was a painter of Dutch origin whose career was nearly all spent in England, where he became the dominant portrait painter to the court.
Sir Henry Capel (1638–1696)
Mary Capel (1630–1715), Later Duchess of Beaufort, and Her Sister Elizabeth (1633–1678), Countess of Carnarvon
Study for a Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, English Admiral and Statesman
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Woman
John Wilmot (1647–1680), 2nd Earl of Rochester
James Bertie (1653–1699), 2nd Son of James, Earl of Abingdon
