Mrs Heneage

Sir Peter Lely (Soest 1618 – London 1680) and Studio. Oil painting on canvas, Mrs Heneage by Sir Peter Lely (Soest 1618 – London 1680) and Studio, 1670/80. A three-quarter-length portrait of a young woman, seated on a rock, turned to the left, gazing at the spectator beneath a tree, her right arm leaning on a rock her left hand in her lap fingering her blue cloak, she had short tightly curled hair and wears a red dress with a brown scarf looped over her right shoulder and a long blue cloak behind and beneath her. Rocks and trees form the back and a distant view of the sky and horizon is on the right. The sitter was the mistress of William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire (1673-1729) and mother of Henrietta Cavendish, Lady Huntingtower (d.1717/18), (who was her illegitimate daughter by Lord William Cavendish, later 2nd Duke of Devonshire). In 1706, Henrietta married Lionel Tollemache, Lord Huntingtower (1682-1712), eldest son of Lionel Tollemache, 3rd Earl of Dysart (1649-1727). Ham House, Surrey (Accredited Museum)