Guillaume de Nassau Pce d'Orange

A colour print with fabric insertions entitled, 'Guillaume de Nassau Pce d'Orange' (cut through), and inscribed, 'Gravé par A. Trouvain avec privilege du Roy 1694'; 'Henry' is printed (?) above Guillaume in the title. The plate shows William Henry of Orange, who became King of England in 1689.

The Prince of Orange is depicted in a loose coat and periwig. He has a cane and a sword as accessories. He is (probably) depicted outdoors with two sphinxes in the background. Part of the prince’s clothing and part of the sphinxes have been cut out, and fabric has been inserted.

It is unknown who ‘dressed’ the plate. The designer is also unknown. The engraver is Antoine Trouvain (c.1653 – 1708), a Frenchman who specialised in fashion plates and almanacs.

Further reading:
Alice Dolan, 'An adorned print: Print culture, female leisure and the dissemination of fashion in France and England, around 1660-1790', V&A Online Journal, Issue No. 3 Spring 2011
Anna Reynolds, A., In fine Style. The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion, London 2013.
Ribeiro, A., Fashion and Fiction. Dress in Art and Literature in Stuart England, London 2005.