Ornatus Muliebris Anglicanus (The Clothing of English Women), Wenceslaus Hollar, 1640
etching, h 131mm × w 70mm More details
The diversity of women’s apparel in England is illustrated in this extensive costume series. Hollar represented women from all ranks of society, from the humble countrywoman 1 to the elegant noblewoman 2. The more fashionable costumes are based on eyewitness observation of the ladies at the court of the Earl of Arundel, Hollar’s primary patron. They are therefore among the more reliable visual sources for costume historians.
