France under Louis XIII, Set of Three Antique Costume Prints, circa 1882

This is a set of three original antique hand-colored wood engravings, sold together as one lot, from Augustin Challamel's La France et les Francais a travers les siecles, Paris, circa 1882. The sheets are, in order: A Country Bride and a Knight of the Holy Spirit; Lady in Full Dress and Peasants of 1635; Chambermaid, Lady and Provincial Bourgeoise of 1640. A gentleman leading a country bride in 1636 on the left, and Louis the Thirteenth creating a knight of the Holy Spirit in 1633 on the right, the two scenes set side by side on one sheet. A lady in full dress on the left and a gentleman with peasants on the right, all of 1635, the lady in a stiff bodied gown with a wide lace collar and the country figures in plain wool and felt hats. A chambermaid, a lady in undress and a provincial bourgeoise of 1640 standing together, the three women graded from plain linen through a simple gown to a stiffer provincial version of court dress.

The plate belongs to La France et les Francais a travers les siecles by Augustin Challamel, published in Paris by F. Roy at 185 rue Saint-Antoine about 1882. It comes from the suite headed Costumes civils et militaires des Francais a travers les siecles, which runs through the work and illustrates French civil and military dress from Gaul to the nineteenth century. Much of the original drawing was done by Edmond Lechevalier-Chevignard, working from manuscripts, tapestries and paintings named on the sheets themselves. The plates of this suite are headed Costumes civils et militaires des Francais a travers les siecles across the top of the sheet, numbered at the lower left and signed F. Roy, editeur at the lower right, with the engraver's name cut small into the lower margin of the block on many of them. The ground is left plain so that the figures carry the whole weight of the design.

The order of the Holy Spirit was the highest French chivalric honor and its creation ceremony is rarely illustrated, so pairing it with a village wedding gives the plate both ends of society at once. Putting court and country on one sheet in the same year is the editorial method of this series at its most effective, and 1635 is the year France entered the Thirty Years War, which sharpens the contrast further. They are three original sheets sold together, and the set is never split. Hung together in matching frames the sheets read as one piece of wall rather than as separate prints, and the uniform plate size makes an even line above a sideboard, a bed or a run of stairs.

Light uneven toning, browner toward the edges. Marked handling soiling along the edges of all three sheets. Scattered foxing in the margins of all three sheets. Loss or wear at the corners of all three sheets.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.