Mulier Calabra, Vulgo, Foretana di Napoli 

This is Wenceslaus Hollar’s “Mulier Calabra, Vulgo, Foretana di Napoli,” an engraving portraying a woman from Calabria, Italy. The print belongs to a larger series titled "Various Figures" made in the mid-seventeenth century. Hollar's prints were produced and circulated in a period marked by significant social stratification across Europe, where one's identity was closely tied to their place of origin. He worked in a period when art academies were rising in prominence, seeking to codify artistic standards and tastes. In contrast, Hollar's series captures a more informal view of fashion. The image gives us a glimpse into the artist’s broader social context. Hollar’s detailed engravings serve as visual records, preserving images of people, places, and customs that might otherwise have been lost to time. These visual documents provide invaluable insights into the social fabric of 17th-century Europe.