Michelle de Vitry

Medieval Noblewoman Historical Costume from The Lady’s Magazine 1837

This rare 1837 hand-colored historical engraving, published in London by Dobbs & Co. for The Lady’s Magazine and Museum, offers a remarkable 19th-century retrospective on 15th-century French aristocratic attire. The single-figure archival print depicts Michelle de Vitry, Baroness de Frainel (1387–1456), in a solemn and dignified stance. She wears a voluminous, heavy black medieval mantle or mourning cloak that sweeps along the stone floor, intricately detailed with a luxurious white spotted fur lining—reminiscent of ermine or miniver—running along the wide cuffs, draped hood, and front edges.

Antique British Lithograph of Historical Portraits and 15th-Century Wimple Headdress

The noblewoman’s look is framed by a traditional high-medieval wimple and flowing white veil headdress, which covers her neck and forehead according to the aristocratic and religious customs of the late Middle Ages. Her hands are elegantly clasped at the waist, emphasizing the simple yet majestic drape of the heavy textile gown beneath. Complete with extensive copperplate annotations at the lower margin including birth and death dates, the series registry number, and the publisher’s Carey Street address, this rare antique print serves as a premier visual document for tracing historical costume revivals and early Victorian archival illustration methods.