English Gentleman about 1700, Periwig, Cane and Tricorn, Jefferys Print, 1757

This is an original antique copper engraving from 1757, colored by hand, lettered "Habit of an English Gentleman, about 1700" A gentleman stands facing the viewer in a full curled white periwig and a long lace cravat. His long gray coat has deep turned back cuffs in green, rows of gold buttons and gold frogging, and opens on a long white waistcoat. Green breeches and green stockings, and black buckled shoes with red heels, complete the dress. He holds a long cane in one hand at the viewer's left, and a black tricorn hat is tucked under his other arm.

The English title is engraved in script below the image: "Habit of an English Gentleman, about 1700" Beneath it, in smaller italic letters, is the French caption "Gentil-homme Anglois de l'annee 1700", meaning "English gentleman of the year 1700". The plate number 226 is engraved at lower right. 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 English title page states that the old English dresses were taken after the designs of Holbein, Vandyke, Hollar and others, so the date in the caption belongs to the costume and not to the print. The full periwig, long coat with deep cuffs and long waistcoat are the dress of a gentleman at the turn of the eighteenth century, in the reigns of William III and Queen Anne.

The soft gray and green coloring suits a study or a library, and it makes a natural link between the 1640 group and the Georgian plates that follow.

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