This is a hand-colored atnique print, this time depicting the "Habit of the Lady Mayoress of London, in 1640." It's a historical costume illustration showing the fashion of a high-ranking lady in London during the early 17th century.
The lady is dressed in a gown with a wide, flowing skirt, which appears to be made of a luxurious fabric, possibly silk, given the sheen illustrated. She wears a bodice with a contrasting color, and the sleeves have a slashed design that was popular during that time, allowing the fabric underneath to show through. Over her shoulders is a ruff, a starched, pleated collar that was a fashion statement in the 16th and early 17th centuries. The costume is completed with a broad-brimmed hat adorned with what appears to be feathers or a ribbon.
This type of illustration would have been of particular interest to historians, costume designers, and enthusiasts of period fashion, as it provides a detailed look at the garments and accessories worn by women of status during that era. The care taken in hand-coloring the print would have helped to bring the illustration to life, offering a vibrant glimpse into the past.
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.
Bartele Gallery. Original antique maps, sea charts, engravings and works on paper. This is a plain text rendering of a page that is otherwise built in the browser. The catalogue index is at https://www.bartele.net/catalogue and machine readable notes are at https://www.bartele.net/llms.txt.