Habit of Eltruda in the Masque of Alfred

by Thomas Jefferys

The engraving presented here provides us with a peek into the theater of 1740 when The Masque of Alfred was staged. It is interesting because "Habit of Eltruda" (the wife of King Alfred) allows us to observe the combination of fashion trends of the 18th century with historical imagination characteristic of the period.

As depicted in the engraving, the outfit of Eltruda includes a classic, flowing silhouette complemented with a fitted bodice. In such a way, the artist managed to capture one of the typical costumes of the Georgian era that combined Saxon-style clothing with contemporary fashion. Notably, the engraving became a part of Jefferys' collection dedicated to historical clothes, thus making it an important source on fashion in the age of British Enlightenment.