An Ancient Habit of a Countryman of Friesland

by Thomas Jefferys

Not only does this 18th century engraving provide insight into the costume history of the time, but it also allows us to glimpse the fortitude of the people who live along the edge of the North Sea. This piece, titled "An Ancient Habit of a Countryman of Friesland," portrays the traditional clothing worn by a Frisian countryman, tailored to withstand living under the harsh dictates of tides, winds, and salt-marshes.

Thomas Jefferys, known for his expertise as a geographer and cartographer to King George III, uses his signature accuracy in this ethnographic depiction. The Frisian gentleman wears the traditional costume of the people, an outfit suited to the isolated culture and independent nature of the Frisians at the time. The footwear used by these people to walk on the drained marshes and the thick, multiple layers of fabric needed to endure the bitter winters in the Netherlands speak volumes about the Frisian heritage.