Born in Soest, Westphalia, to Dutch parents, Peter Lely initially trained in Haarlem before moving to London in the early 1640s. He quickly established himself as a prominent portraitist, successfully navigating the political shifts of the English Civil War and the Interregnum to become the dominant figure in English painting.

Lely is best known for his sophisticated, often idealized portraits of the court of King Charles II, including the famous series of the Windsor Beauties. His work is characterized by a fluid, painterly technique and the use of rich drapery, which set the standard for British portraiture for several decades.

Following his naturalization as an English subject, Lely was knighted in 1680. His legacy remains central to the history of British art, with his works held in major public collections including the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate, where his influence on subsequent generations of portrait painters continues to be studied.