Wealthy Merchant of London in 1588, Fur Trimmed Gown, Jefferys Print, 1757

This is an original antique copper engraving from 1757, colored by hand, lettered "Habit of a Wealthy Merchant of London, in 1588" A bearded merchant stands facing the viewer in a flat red cap and a deep ruff. His long blue gown is patterned all over with a scrolling damask design, edged with fur down the front and at the hem and banded in purple, with hanging sleeves that reach almost to his ankles. Golden yellow undersleeves show at the arms, a thin gold belt circles his waist, and one hand rests on his hip at the viewer's left while the other holds a pair of gloves. Red stockings and pale buff shoes show below the gown.

The English title is engraved in script below the image: "Habit of a Wealthy Merchant of London, in 1588" Beneath it, in smaller italic letters, is the French caption "Riche Marchand de Londres.", meaning "wealthy merchant of London". The plate number 214 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 year 1588 is the year of the Spanish Armada.

The rich blue gown and red cap give the sheet strong color, and it suits a study, an office or a collection of London subjects.

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