Sovereign Grand Master of the Annunziata, Costume Plate, 1844

This is an original antique wood engraving, colored by hand, showing a full length figure in the robes of the Order of the Annunziata. He stands on a tiled floor with long dark curls and a moustache, wearing a black cap with white plumes. A broad gold cape collar set with red and blue jewels lies over his shoulders, and from it falls a great mantle of deep crimson worked with small gold knots, lined in pale blue patterned in white and edged with a wide gold band set with jewels, its long train sweeping to the right. Beneath he wears a black doublet with white puffed sleeves, white paned trunk hose, white hose and white shoes with rosettes, a sword hilt at his side, and he points outward with his right hand.

The caption below reads "SOUVERAIN GRAND MAITRE DE L'ORDRE DE L'ANNONCIADE." (French, Sovereign Grand Master of the Order of the Annunziata). Two names are worked into the ground under the figure: "EVRARD" at the left and "MARKAERT. sc" at the right, sc. marking the engraver.

The plate comes from Ordres de Chevalerie et Marques d'Honneur, published by Auguste Wahlen at Brussels by the Librairie Historique-Artistique, rue de Schaerbeek, 12, in 1844; the half title reads 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 illustrations are relief prints, wood engravings, colored by hand with watercolor.

The tall single figure and the sweep of the crimson train suit a narrow wall or a pair with another costume plate.

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