Dutch artist Sir Peter Lely (1618-80) was an acclaimed portrait painter and was awarded the post of Principal Painter to Charles II, producing magnificent portraits of the men and women of the Restoration court. However, Lely was also famous for his significant art collection, which included almost 10,000 prints and drawings and nearly 600 paintings.

This display explores different aspects of Lely's life and career by considering him as both artist and collector. The exhibition includes drawings by Lely, printed copies of his portraits produced by other celebrated artists, and examples of Flemish and Italian old master drawings from Lely's own collection, judged by the artist himself as ‘the best in Europe'.

This wide variety of works on paper highlights the significance of the National Gallery of Scotland's Old Master drawing collection and reveals the wealth of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery's huge collection of works on paper. Sir Peter Lely: Artist and Collector offers visitors a chance to view works rarely seen by the public.