Two figures with London in the back ground

Author: MEIJER, A.

Publisher: [Pieter van der Aa?]

Publication date: early 17th century

Physical description: Engraved print.

An early seventeenth century print of London, with two inhabitants in the foreground. London Bridge and old St Paul’s Cathedral are visible in the background. The woman in the foreground is bare breasted, a style supposedly adopted by aristocratic Englishwomen, although this may have been an artistic interpretation of the fashion for extremely décolleté bodices. The equally elegantly dressed man carries a swagger stick and wears his hair short with two long ​‘love locks’ on his shoulders.

The print appears in Allard’s ​‘Orbis

​“Orbis habitabilis” is a rare and interesting book illustrating towns and costumes. In many cases a plate of a town is followed by another showing the costume of the inhabitants , as is shown in this view of Paris. The images are excellent in design and execution, and wide-ranging and comprehensive in subject matter.

Carel Allard is considered to be the first compiler of a townbook to couple the plates this way. Orbis habitabilis comprises 28 views of European towns (including four costumes), 24 Asian towns (including 4 costumes), 24 African towns (including 6 costumes) and 24 American towns (including 8 costumes). The text for the book is in Latin by Ludolph Smids, a Groningen doctor and antiquary who settled in Amsterdam in 1685. 

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This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

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