BRITISH SCHOOL, 17TH CENTURY
Portrait of an unknown lady, perhaps Louise de Kéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth
c.1680RCIN 420143
This miniature is a contemporary portrait by a minor hand, c. 1680, working somewhat in the manner of Nicholas Dixon. A variety of identifications have been suggested for the sitter since the miniature was first acquired by Prince Albert in 1854, including Catherine Dorrell Lady Harrington, but comparison with contemporary portraits strongly suggests that the sitter is Louise de Kéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth, mistress of Charles II.
Text adapted from Charles II: Art and Power, London 2017