May 13, 2026 10:00 EST
Old Master Paintings / Silver / English & Continental Furniture
30
School of Sir Peter Lely
Portrait of Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland and Countess of Castlemaine (1640-1709)
Oil on canvas
48 x 39 1/8 inches (122 x 98.4 cm)
Frame 57 1/2 x 49 1/8 inches (146.2 x 124.8 cm)
Provenance:
[Sale] William Doyle Galleries, May 20, 1987, lot 66
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner
Private collection, New York
The most frequently depicted of King Charles II's favorites, Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland and Countess of Castlemaine, remains one of the most enduring symbols of the excesses of the Restoration court. This portrait is closely related to a work by Sir Peter Lely painted around 1662.
Portrait of Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland and Countess of Castlemaine (1640-1709)
Oil on canvas
48 x 39 1/8 inches (122 x 98.4 cm)
Frame 57 1/2 x 49 1/8 inches (146.2 x 124.8 cm)
Provenance:
[Sale] William Doyle Galleries, May 20, 1987, lot 66
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner
Private collection, New York
The most frequently depicted of King Charles II's favorites, Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland and Countess of Castlemaine, remains one of the most enduring symbols of the excesses of the Restoration court. This portrait is closely related to a work by Sir Peter Lely painted around 1662.
Glue relined. Small repaired tear (roughly 1 inch long) on the tress falling upon the sitter's left shoulder. Contours and shadows reinforced.
Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact and our Organization shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. Please contact the specialist department to request further information or additional images that may be available.
Auction: Old Master Paintings / Silver / English & Continental Furniture, May 13, 2026
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Auction of Old Master & 19th Century Paintings & Drawings on May 13, 2026
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Johan Julius Ringdahl's Achilles Mourning the Death of Patroclus Achieves a World Auction Record for the Artist
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
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We Invite You to Contact Us for a Complimentary Auction Evaluation of Your Collection
NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle held an auction of Old Master & 19th Century Paintings & Drawings on May 13, 2026 presenting works spanning the 16th through 19th centuries, including portraits, still lifes and landscapes, along with religious, historical and mythological subjects.
Johan Julius Ringdahl
A highlight of the sale was Achilles Mourning the Death of Patroclus, a rare neoclassic work by the Swedish artist Johan Julius Ringdahl (1813-1882), which tripled its $8,000-12,000 estimate, selling for an impressive $35,200—A World Auction Record for the Artist. A graduate of the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts who chiefly concentrated on portraiture and genre scenes, Ringdahl’s depiction of the first episode of the eighteenth book of Homer’s Iliad was almost certainly painted on commission for a serious lover of Greek poetry. It is a poignant evocation of the hero’s grief at the death of his friend Patroclus, who has been killed in battle by the Trojan prince Hector. Equally moving is the presence of Achilles’s mother, the sea goddess Thetis, who has come to comfort him. As she touches her son’s shoulder tenderly, she presents him with the new shield and armor just made for him by the smith god Hephaestus, offering him a way forward to fulfill his destiny.
Additional Categories in the Sale
Special sections of the sale will also showcase English & Continental Silver, lots 63-193 (Read More) on Wednesday, May 13 and English & Continental Furniture & Decorative Arts, lots 301-710 (Read More) on Thursday, May 14.
We Invite You to Auction!
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
