Ornatus Muliebris Anglicanus (The Clothing of English Women)

1640

The diversity of women’s apparel in England is illustrated in this extensive costume series. Hollar represented women from all ranks of society, from the humble countrywoman 1 to the elegant noblewoman 2. The more fashionable costumes are based on eyewitness observation of the ladies at the court of the Earl of Arundel, Hollar’s primary patron. They are therefore among the more reliable visual sources for costume historians.