Habit of the Dutchess of Orleans in 1700

by Thomas Jefferys

This finely crafted copperplate engraving, published by Thomas Jefferys in the middle of the eighteenth century, represents the elaborate court costume worn by the Duchess of Orleans in the year 1700. This print is an important ethnographic document that portrays the shift from the Baroque period to the early Rococo era.

Here we see the figure dressed in a grand habit, which includes an elaborately tailored bodice, engageantes, which are lace sleeves, and a fontange, which is an essential part of the French court costume during the reign of King Louis XIV. The details provided by the line work clearly demonstrate the extensive embroidery, as well as the weight of the fabric. The print has been executed on handmade paper that carries chain marks.