Italian Country Woman Costume Print, Pavia Peasant Dress, 1749
€ 270
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1749
Mapmaker / artist
European School, probably French or English, circa 1749
Technique
Hand-colored copper engraving
Sheet size
32.1 × 24.9 cm (12.6 × 9.8 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-14276-117
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
Good antique condition with age-related toning, occasional foxing, and minor edge wear consistent with age. Attractive original hand coloring with a strong impression. Please review the images for further condition details.
About this sheet
Italian Country Woman Costume Print, Pavia Peasant Dress, 1749
A charming and highly decorative antique costume engraving depicting a country woman from Pavia, Italy, titled “Habit of a Country Woman of Pavia, in 1581.” This elegant hand-colored print belongs to a celebrated mid-18th century European costume series published around 1749, documenting historical regional dress traditions from across Italy and Europe. The composition portrays a rural woman carrying baskets of produce suspended from a shoulder yoke, offering a vivid glimpse into agricultural life and vernacular fashion of Renaissance-era northern Italy.
The figure is beautifully rendered in soft original hand coloring, wearing a turquoise overskirt, pink underskirt, fitted red bodice, and broad straw hat. The inclusion of baskets overflowing with vegetables and fruit adds narrative charm and makes this engraving particularly appealing compared to more formal aristocratic costume studies. Such imagery was highly prized during the 18th century by collectors, travelers, and Grand Tour audiences fascinated by the diversity of European regional customs and attire.
Pavia, located in Lombardy near Milan, was historically an important agricultural and trading center. Costume engravings like this not only documented clothing traditions but also reflected the occupations, daily routines, and social identities of local inhabitants. The simplicity and grace of the composition, combined with the large clean margins surrounding the figure, create an elegant decorative presentation ideal for framing.
This print displays exceptionally well in dark walnut, black lacquer, or lightly gilt frames with wide cream or ivory mats. Its warm colors and pastoral subject make it especially suitable for Italian interiors, farmhouse-inspired spaces, kitchens, dining rooms, or collections focused on costume history and European regional culture.
This is an original antique document, not a reproduction. The piece is sold unframed; any framed images are shown for presentation and interior inspiration only and may not always be to scale.
