Habit of a Cistercian Nun

by Thomas Jefferys

Take a step back in time to the mid-eighteenth century through this beautiful hand-colored copperplate engraving created by the esteemed geographer to King George III, Thomas Jefferys. This rare copperplate engraving is taken from a volume that was first published in the groundbreaking book "A Collection of the Dresses of Different Nations."

Thomas Jefferys was not just a cartographer but also a visual historian who documented the traditions of various cultures in his engravings. The print illustrates the attire of a Cistercian Nun, whose habit is characterized by a simple white tunic and black scapular, giving rise to their moniker "White Nuns."