A Nun of the Antient Order of St. Augustin

by Thomas Jefferys

Time travel back to the 1750s with this beautiful plate entitled “A Nun of the Antient Order of St. Augustin” finely etched by the esteemed geographer and engraver Thomas Jefferys.

This piece acts as an illustration linking one to the medieval practice of asceticism through the depiction of the "Black Nuns" in their iconic attire. The artist, famed for his cartographical exactness, uses similar care in the depiction of the nun’s robe. From the thick and symbolic layers of fabric to the shading that characterizes the material’s composition, it is more than just a study of ecclesiastical garb; it is an artifact documenting the spirituality of the Augustinian order during the Georgian period.