John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester

Peter Lely's portrait of John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester, painted around 1677, depicts the most infamous libertine and brilliant satirical poet of Charles II's court. Rochester, who died at 33 from the dissipations celebrated in his poetry, was a fascinating and contradictory figure. Lely, the dominant portrait painter of Restoration England, captured the aristocratic elegance and aristocratic insouciance that defined the court of the Merry Monarch.

Lely's oil-on-canvas technique demonstrates his characteristic warm palette and fluid brushwork, with the sitter's features rendered with the flattering idealizations typical of Restoration court portraiture. The loose, elegant handling of costume and hair reflects the sensuous aesthetic of Lely's mature style.