An engraving of Nell Gwyn and her two sons: she lies, full length, reclining on a bed of foliage by the side of an ornamental lake. Her hair is in long curls, and a lace robe (said to have been stolen from the Duchess of Portsmouth) is draped over her nude body. Her sons Charles and James are represented as cupids flying above, the former supporting one side of the drapery which hangs from the tree above his mother. Charles II stands in the background on the far side of the lake. First state, very rare.

Eleanor 'Nell Gwyn (?1651-87) became mistress to Charles II in 1688 or 1689. From humble origins in a 'bawdy-house to fill strong water to guests', and selling oranges in the theatre, she became one of the first professional actresses on the London stage, where she was well regarded for her comic roles. Nell bore Charles II two sons, Charles in 1670 and James in 1671, both of whom were recognised and ennobled by the king. While Nell was not given a title or lodgings at Whitehall, unlike Charles's aristocratic mistresses, she was provided with a residence in Pall Mall and a handsome pension of £4,000 a year.

Despite the English title, this engraving may have been produced in France, for by the late 1670s mezzotint dominated the portrait market in England.

Text adapted from Charles II: Art & Power, London, 2017