Portrait of Barbara Villiers Duchess of Cleveland

Henri Gascar was a French portrait painter who spent significant time in London, where he became a favored portraitist of the restored Stuart court under Charles II. Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland, was Charles II's most celebrated mistress and one of the most powerful women at the Restoration court. Being painted by a French artist added continental cachet to her image, and Gascar's flattering, elegant style suited her ambitions for visual self-presentation.

The Duchess is shown in the languorous, slightly informal pose typical of Restoration portraits — more relaxed than continental court portraiture. Gascar employs the warm flesh tones and sumptuous textile rendering favored at the English court, with soft landscape elements visible in the background.