“The catalogue of 1845 you’ve just shown me says Lely doesn’t it? Quite clearly.
“But in those days they had somewhat a looser interpretation of the trade description act, if it indeed ever existed.
“The thing about Lely, the great portrait painter that he was, is that when he died he left hundreds of unfinished portraits and versions of portraits already done,” the expert continued.
“His students and studio assistants finished them really quickly, and sold them all so that his entire estate including his collection of old masters made something like £30,00 in the 17th century – a massive amount of money, he was so popular.
