Recueil de la diversité des habits (A Collection of the Various Styles of Clothing) 1562

François Desprez produced this print, “La Bresilienne”, around 1562 as part of a series depicting different styles of clothing from around the world. It’s an etching, so the lines are crisp, designed to present a clear image of a woman from Brazil. But what exactly does it tell us? Desprez never visited Brazil. Instead, the print reflects European perceptions of the ‘New World’ at the time. The woman is semi-nude, emphasizing an idea of the ‘exotic’ or ‘primitive.’ The text below hints at trade with ‘strangers’, but the image mainly speaks to European fantasies. Prints like this served a social function. They weren’t just about clothes; they were about defining Europe in relation to the rest of the world. To understand this image fully, we need to look at travel accounts, early ethnographic studies, and the history of European colonialism. By understanding the context, we can start to see what this print really tells us about 16th-century Europe.