Selim in the Tragedy of Barbarossa, Georgian Stage Costume, Jefferys Print, 1757
€ 375
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1757
Mapmaker / artist
Published by Thomas Jefferys
Publisher
Thomas Jefferys, London
Technique
Copper Engraving
Coloring
Hand colored
Sheet size
32 × 25 cm (12.6 × 9.8 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-14276-232
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
Light handling wear to the bottom left corner; minor nicks along the left edge. Even age toning, lightly soiled along the right and top edges. A few small foxing spots in the margin.
About this sheet
This is an original antique copper engraving from 1757, colored by hand, lettered "Habit of Selim in the Tragedy of Barbarossa." Selim stands facing the viewer in a jeweled turban crowned with white and brown plumes, his curled hair falling beneath it. A voluminous white cloak bordered with dark fur hangs from his shoulders over a buttoned tunic and full breeches, both striped in gray. One hand is at his chest and the other rests on his hip beside a dagger at his waist. Soft buff boots topped with fur complete the costume.
The English title is engraved in script below the image: "Habit of Selim in the Tragedy of Barbarossa." Beneath it, in smaller italic letters, is the French caption "Selim dans la Tragedie de Barberosse", meaning "Selim in the tragedy of Barbarossa". The plate number 232 is engraved at lower right. "Barbarossa" and "Barberosse" are engraved with long s forms. No engraver or artist is named on the plate.
The plate comes from the second volume of Thomas Jefferys' A Collection of the Dresses of Different Nations, Antient and Modern, published in London in 1757 by Jefferys, Geographer to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, in the Strand. The work has a parallel French title page, Recueil des Habillements de Différentes Nations, which is why each plate is captioned in both languages. The later plates of the volume form a series titled The Habits of the Principal Characters on the English Stage, recording how leading parts were dressed in the London theaters of the period. Barbarossa, a tragedy by John Brown set in Algiers, opened at Drury Lane in 1754; Selim is the young prince who returns in disguise to avenge his father. The costume is a good example of the oriental dress of the Georgian stage.
The pale, fur trimmed figure is an elegant picture, and it pairs naturally with Aletes and Tancred from the same series.
This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.
