Nell Gwyn
(1651?-1687), Actress; mistress of Charles IIEleanor ('Nell') Gwyn
Sitter associated with 30 portraits
Eleanor Gywn, or 'Pretty witty Nell', as Pepys called her, came to London as an orange-seller, and rose to become one of the leading comic actresses of the day, and mistress to the King, Charles II. The playwright Dryden supplied her with a series of saucy, bustling parts, ideally suited to her talents. She had two sons by the King, and the elder, Charles Beauclerk, was created Duke of St Albans. She was said to have been remembered by Charles on his deathbed with the words 'Let not poor Nelly starve'.
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Unknown woman, formerly known as Nell Gwyn
studio of Sir Peter Lely
oil on canvas, circa 1675
NPG 3976
by Simon Verelst
oil on canvas, feigned oval, circa 1680
NPG 2496
by Gerard Valck, after Sir Peter Lely
line engraving
NPG 3811
Nell Gwyn (Margaret Lemon with the head altered to Nell Gwyn)
by Richard Gaywood, after Sir Anthony van Dyck, and head after Gerard Valck, after Sir Peter Lely
etching and line engraving, circa 1662; head late 17th century
NPG D47402
Nell Gwyn ('Madam Elinora Gwÿnne')
by Abraham de Blois, published by Nicolaes Visscher II, after Sir Peter Lely
mezzotint, (1670s)
NPG D2543
by Gerard Valck, after Sir Peter Lely
line engraving, circa 1673
NPG D10959
by and published by Thomas van der Wilt
mezzotint, 1687
NPG D30626
James Beauclerk; Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans; Nell Gwyn
by Richard Tompson, after Sir Peter Lely
mezzotint, before 1693
NPG D35093
James Beauclerk; Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans; Nell Gwyn
by Richard Tompson, after Sir Peter Lely
mezzotint, before 1693
NPG D35094
James Beauclerk; Charles Beauclerk, 1st Duke of St Albans; Nell Gwyn
after Richard Tompson, and after Sir Peter Lely
mezzotint, after 1693
NPG D35095
by and sold by James Macardell, after Sir Peter Lely
mezzotint, mid 18th century
NPG D30623
by Peter van Bleeck, after Sir Peter Lely
mezzotint, 1751
NPG D30627
by Valentine Green, published by Walter Shropshire, after Sir Peter Lely
mezzotint, published 17 November 1777
NPG D30625
by Valentine Green, published by Walter Shropshire, after Simon Verelst
mezzotint, published 17 November 1777
NPG D2515
by John Ogborne, published by Anthony Molteno, after Sir Peter Lely
stipple engraving, published 2 January 1802
NPG D30624
by Henry Richard Cook, published by Mathews & Leigh, after Sir Peter Lely
stipple engraving, published 1 August 1807
NPG D30621
by Schenecker, published by John White, published by John Scott, after Sir Peter Lely
stipple engraving, published 1 July 1808
NPG D30622
by Richard Earlom, published by Samuel Woodburn, after Samuel Cooper
mezzotint, published 1810
NPG D2514
by Richard Earlom, published by Samuel Woodburn, after Samuel Cooper
mezzotint, published 1810
NPG D2544
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