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Attributed to Pierre Mignard (French, 1612-1695), "Portrait of Louise de Kerouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth", oil on oval canvas, inscribed en verso "Louise de Kerouaille, P. Mignard", 26-3/4" x 22". Presented in a handsome giltwood and gesso frame. Louise de Kerouaille was a mistress of Charles II of England, by whom she had a son, Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond. She first came to England in 1670 as a maid of honour to Charles II's sister, the Duchess of Orleans; she became the King's mistress in 1671 with the encouragement of the French government. It is thought that she served as a spy for the French king, due to the lavish gifts and honours she received from Louis XIV. Although she exercised influence at Court and was one of three women in Charles's thoughts on his deathbed, she was generally unpopular for her nationality and religion, as well as her alleged promiscuity. In this sensuous portrait of the Duchess of Portsmouth, she is clothed in a loosely draped dress, revealing the chest and neck. Her loose, dark hair frames her face, emphasizing the paleness of her skin. The round, rosy cheeks, full lips and almond eyes, looking provocatively at the viewer, were all ideals of feminine beauty of the 1600's.