Album met kostuumprenten c. 1620 - 1660

This album of costume prints, whose makers are now anonymous, invites us to consider the social functions of fashion. Albums such as this circulated widely in the Netherlands and throughout Europe. These prints depict fashionable garments, often those worn at court. These images weren't simply about aesthetics; they were powerful signifiers of social status, wealth, and allegiance. Costume prints offered a way to disseminate and democratize access to fashion, allowing those outside elite circles to participate vicariously in courtly life. They also informed the theater, where performers needed to convincingly portray historical or exotic characters. Understanding the social and economic conditions that gave rise to these costume prints helps us see them as documents of cultural exchange. The resources of libraries, archives, and museums are essential for understanding these works. By studying these prints alongside other period sources, we gain insights into the ways clothing shaped social identities and power relations in the early modern world.