Hungarian Gentlemen, a Hungarian Bridal Couple and Wallachians, 1842

An original antique lithograph with hand coloring, from the Galleria Universale di Tutti i Popoli del Mondo (Venice, Giuseppe Antonelli, 1842). In the upper image a mustached gentleman in a red braided coat and trousers, a yellow sash and a black plumed hat leans on a cane and points with his left hand. Beside him a second gentleman in a yellow braided jacket, a red sash and a fur trimmed tasseled cap holds a brown horse by the bridle, a curved saber at his side and a green cloak edged in red and white over his shoulder; a farmhouse and trees fill the background. In the lower image a groom in a fur cap with a plume, a braided yellow jacket and a fur trimmed pelisse stands beside a bride in a white blouse, an embroidered yellow apron and a tall flowered headdress with a long veil. At right a mustached man in a pink robe and a long green coat lined with fur stands next to a younger companion in a fur cap, a yellow braided bodice and a long gray blue coat trimmed with fur.

The top margin is lettered Tav 97 at upper left, "IMP. AUSTRIACO" at center and Tom IV at upper right. The captions read "Gentiluomini Ungheresi" (Hungarian gentlemen), "Sposi Ungheresi" (Hungarian bridal couple) and "Valacchi" (Wallachians).

In 1842 the Kingdom of Hungary was part of the Austrian Empire, which explains the heading. The braided jackets, sashes and fur trimmed pelisses are elements of Hungarian dress that also shaped the uniform of the hussars. The Wallachians were the Romanian speaking population of the region.

The red and yellow costumes and the horse give the plate a lively presence for a collection of Central European costume.

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