Italian Noble Lady Costume Print, Vicenza Fashion, 1749
€ 290
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-14276-119
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 and a strong clear impression. Please review the images for further condition details.
About this sheet
Italian Noble Lady Costume Print, Vicenza Fashion, 1749
A graceful and finely hand-colored antique costume engraving depicting a noblewoman from Vicenza, Italy, titled “Habit of a Noble Lady of Vicentio, in 1581.” This elegant print forms part of a celebrated mid-18th century costume series published around 1749, documenting the historical fashions and regional dress traditions of Europe. The composition portrays an aristocratic lady dressed in sumptuous layered robes, delicately holding an ornamental fan, embodying the refinement and ceremonial elegance associated with late Renaissance Italian society.
The figure is rendered with remarkable delicacy, featuring soft original hand coloring in pale turquoise, lavender, silver-gray, and muted crimson tones. The luxurious drapery, jeweled headdress, lace collar, and flowing veil evoke the sophisticated courtly culture of northern Italy during the late 16th century. Costume engravings such as this were highly prized among Grand Tour travelers and collectors fascinated by European history, aristocratic customs, and the evolution of fashion.
Vicenza, located in the Veneto region near Venice, was renowned during the Renaissance for its wealthy merchant class and artistic sophistication, closely associated with the architectural legacy of Andrea Palladio. Prints documenting the dress of noblewomen from the region provided contemporary audiences with both ethnographic curiosity and decorative elegance. The large uncluttered margins surrounding the figure create an especially refined presentation that enhances the print’s decorative impact.
This engraving displays beautifully in dark walnut, black lacquer, or lightly gilt frames paired with wide ivory or cream mats. Its subtle palette and elegant vertical composition make it particularly suitable for Italian interiors, neoclassical settings, fashion collections, dressing rooms, or refined gallery walls.
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.
