Dutch by birth, Peter Lely assumed the name of his house 'de Lely' from the lily carved on the roof gable. A painter, draftsman, and collector, Lely established himself in London in the mid-seventeenth century and became the leading portrait painter in England. Named a Principal Painter in 1661 by King Charles II (1630-1685), he was naturalized as an English citizen in 1662 and was knighted in 1680.