Venetiaanse dame in huisjapon 1598

Christoph Krieger made this print of a Venetian lady in a housecoat as an illustration for a book. It gives us insight into the fashions and social customs of the time. Printed illustrations like this one were important for circulating knowledge about fashion and culture. It was made in a time when Venice was a major center for trade and cultural exchange, and fashion was a way for the elite to display their wealth and status. The “housecoat” suggests a degree of comfort and informality within the domestic sphere. Such images were part of a growing print culture. These prints could be bought and collected. They provided people with visual information about different regions and cultures. To understand this image more fully, we can consult costume books, travel narratives, and social histories. This allows us to understand not just the artwork, but also the society that produced it.