Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland

The painting was created in 1661 as an oil on canvas portrait of Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland, attributed to an anonymous follower of Sir Peter Lely.

The painting was created in 1661 as an oil on canvas portrait of Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland, attributed to an anonymous follower of Sir Peter Lely. It entered the collection of Bethell Walrond at Dulford House, Devon, before being sold at Christie, Manson & Woods in July 1878 (lot 156). The work subsequently passed through several owners, including Sir Henry-Hope Edwardes, Martin H. Colnaghi, and the firm Thos.

Agnew & Sons, before being acquired by Frank Bulkeley Smith in 1920. Smith’s estate later sold it to Otto Bernet, acting for William R. Timken, and the painting remained in the Timken family until its bequest to the National Gallery of Art in 1960. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., now holds the work, which measures 126.1 cm by 101.5 cm.

The provenance chain is documented through multiple sales and transfers, with the 1878 Christie sale and the 1901 disposal by Edwardes recorded in auction ledgers. The 1908 joint sale between Agnew and Wallis & Son to Scott & Fowles in New York marks a key transfer point, followed by its acquisition by the American collector Frank Bulkeley Smith. After Smith’s death, the work passed through the Bernet and Timken families before its final donation to the National Gallery of Art.

The painting’s creation history is tied to the court of Charles II, with the sitter being a prominent mistress of the era. While the artist remains unidentified, stylistic analysis suggests influence from Sir Peter Lely’s circle, and the work is classified as a 17th-century portrait. Its dimensions and medium are consistent with contemporary portraiture, and its inclusion in the National Gallery of Art’s collection underscores its historical and artistic significance.

The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection in 1960 as part of the bequest of Lillian Guyer Timken, widow of William R. Timken. It had previously passed through a succession of owners, including Bethell Walrond at Dulford House, Devon; Sir Henry-Hope Edwardes at Wootton Hall, Derbyshire; the dealer Martin H. Colnaghi in London; and the American collector Frank Bulkeley Smith of Worcester, Massachusetts, before being acquired by Otto Bernet, likely on behalf of Timken.

The work was offered at several auctions during its documented provenance: at Christie's, Manson & Woods in London on 12–13 July 1878 (lot 156); again at the same house on 27 April 1901 (lot 11); and at the American Art Association in New York on 22–23 April 1920 (lot 109), the latter as part of Smith's estate sale.