Figures & Portraits · 18th century
€ 250
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good, especially considering age. Vivid colors. One large damp stain outside the plate mark, not touching the image. Overal minor soiling due to handling. Study the images carefully.
An original antique hand-colored print of a woman in an elaborate dress, which is described as the "Habit of a Lady of Quality in France." This suggests that the attire represented is that of an affluent or noble woman from France, possibly from the 18th century given the style of the dress and the method of printmaking.
The dress itself features a rich blue gown with gold accents and what appears to be an underskirt or petticoat of a contrasting color, potentially gold or yellow. The woman is wearing a headdress, which also fits with the fashion of the European upper class of the period.
Such prints were often part of fashion plates or costume books that depicted the latest styles and were used by tailors, dressmakers, and the fashion-conscious elite to stay up-to-date with the latest trends from various European courts and cities. It's a detailed representation of historical clothing and would have been a valuable reference at the time for understanding the complexities of high fashion.
The place of issue is London, and the publisher is T. Jefferys, known for their work in the mid-18th century. This suggests that the image is most likely an engraving that was made to illustrate the fashions of the upper classes of the past century to a contemporary audience. The text on the image is a mix of English and French, which indicates that the target audience might have been bilingual or that the publishers catered to both English and French-speaking clientele. The hand-coloring is original and likely made in the year it was published.
