Commander of Saint Stephen of Hungary, Hand Colored Wood Engraving, 1844

An original antique wood engraving, colored by hand with watercolor, showing a commander of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary standing full length in the robes of the order. He wears a tall white fur cap spotted with ermine tails, with a red bag hanging at the left ending in a gold tassel and a white plume rising at the right; a high gold collar; and a green mantle with a deep ermine cape and broad ermine facings, bordered in gold embroidery. Under it is a long crimson robe embroidered in gold at the hem, with crimson hose and black boots. A small cross badge hangs below a crown at his throat. The mantle sweeps to the ground at the right in a long train lined with ermine and green. One hand hangs at his side at the left, the other is held out at the right. He stands on a buff ground with hatched shadow.

Below the image the plate is captioned "COMMANDEUR DE L'ORDRE DE SAINT-ÉTIENNE DE HONGRIE." (Commander of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary). The ground under the figure is signed "DUVERGER" at the left and "CLERMAN" at the right, with no credit terms after the names. The plate carries no plate number.

The plate comes from Ordres de Chevalerie et Marques d'Honneur, published in Brussels in 1844 by the Librairie Historique-Artistique, rue de Schaerbeek, 12, with the title page reading "publié par Auguste Wahlen"; the half title is Histoire, costumes, décorations de tous les ordres de chevalerie, et marques d'honneur. Auguste Wahlen was the pen name of the Belgian writer Jean-François-Nicolas Loumyer (1801 to 1875), and the title page lists his own knighthoods in orders of Prussia, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Hanover, Greece, the Roman States, Saxe-Coburg and Brazil.

The green, crimson and ermine of the robes make a rich figure that hangs well alone or with other costume plates from the book.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.