Lot 889: Circle of John Hayles c.1600-1679- Portrait of a

Circle of John Hayles c.1600-1679- Portrait of a young woman, bust-length, with dark curled hair, wearing a brown dress with white lace and pearl sash; Portrait of a young gentleman, bust-length, long dark hair worn natural, wearing possibly elements of a military uniform with tied white lace stock, white satin doublet and short golden cape with leather and brass belts and buckles; oil on canvas, ovals, a pair, in matching carved and gilded oval frames, with beaded sight-edge, fluted hollow, egg-and-dart course schematic outer-edge, (2) Note: John Hayles, relative of the miniaturist Samuel Cooper, competitor of Sir peter Lely and respected by his contemporaries for his replicas of the portraits of van Dyke. These paintings show all the elements expected of a fashionable portrait painter of the day in particular Michael Dahl 1659-1743, Mary Beale 1632-1697,and Willem Wissing 1656-1687 all these working from the ideals laid down by such painters as van Dyke, and the larger studios of Kneeler 1646-1723 and lely 1618-1680. His famous work being the portrait of the diarist Samuel pepys; Extract from Pepys diary, 17 March 1666: ...at noon, home to dinner, and presently with my wife out to Hales's, where I am still infinitely pleased with my wife's picture. I paid him 14l for it, and 25s for the frame, and I think it is not a whit too dear for so good a picture. It is not yet quite finished and dry, so as to be fit to bring home yet. This day I begin to sit, and he will make me, I think, a very fine picture. He promises it shall be as good as my wife's, and I sit to have it full of shadows, and do almost break my neck looking over my shoulder to make the posture for him to work by.