Habit of the Infanta of Spain in 1568

by Thomas Jefferys

This etching from 1757 by Thomas Jefferys is entitled "Habit of the Infanta of Spain in 1568." This print shows the development toward the signature silhouette style in the last period of the Renaissance era and gives a good glimpse of the strict elegance of the Spanish Habsburg court.

"Infanta" is a term used in reference to the daughter of a Spanish monarch. In this print, the figure of the young woman wears a costume worn in the court of Philip II. It consists of the Spanish Farthingale, or verdugado, a skirt design which gave the shape of a perfect cone.