Habit of the Queen of Poland & Electoress of Saxony in 1700

by Thomas Jefferys

This elegant and rare mid-eighteenth-century engraving depicts the majestic posture and elaborate dress of the Queen of Poland at the beginning of the 18th century. The print was issued by the distinguished cartographer Thomas Jefferys and constitutes the authoritative pictorial representation of the "Grand Habit"—the most extravagant embodiment of courtly Baroque fashion.

The engraving demonstrates the evolution from the well-structured silhouette of the late seventeenth-century fashion towards the luxurious and lavish garments preferred by the Saxon-Polish aristocracy. The rich lace trimming, elaborately decorated bodice, and the typical "fontange" headgear characterize the merging of German Protestant piety and Polish monarchic splendor.