Artwork
Historical Costumes
Historical Costumes is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Luis Paret y Alcázar. It dates from 1780 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Luis Paret y Alcázar’s drawing entitled Historical Costumes, executed in 1780, is a pen-and-ink study on laid paper. The sheet contains eight loosely rendered figures—four men and four women—each dressed in distinct, antiquated garments. The quick, gestural lines suggest a preparatory exercise rather than a finished illustration, offering a snapshot of period dress through the artist’s eye.
Subject & Meaning
The figures are arranged in varied poses that highlight the silhouette of each costume: wide skirts, long coats, hats, a rider on horseback, and a gentleman holding a fan. By juxtaposing multiple outfits on a single page, Paret y Alcázar appears to be cataloguing or testing costume designs, possibly for theatrical productions or a larger costume compendium.
Technique & Style
Rendered with black ink on a slightly yellowed laid paper, the drawing relies on light, sketchy strokes and occasional cross‑hatching to suggest volume and shadow. The emphasis is on overall shape and movement rather than intricate detail, indicating a rapid, exploratory approach typical of preparatory studies in the late eighteenth century.
History & Provenance
Created in 1780, the sheet is part of Paret y Alcázar’s lesser‑known graphic output. While the original context of the study remains uncertain, its survival on paper suggests it was kept as a reference or teaching tool, later entering a collection of historical costume documentation.
Artist & collection
![Roger de Coverley and the Gypsies [verso], by Thomas Stothard](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/thomas-stothard--roger-de-coverley-and-the-gypsies-verso--be31aa9d2dc5e3ff-w320.webp)
Roger de Coverley and the Gypsies [verso]
Lady in a Large Coat
Sketches of Figures
Gentleman Viewed from the Front with Hand on Hip
Man seen from Behind with His Right Arm Extended![Woman and Smaller Male Figure on Grand Stairway [recto], by Hubert Robert](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/hubert-robert--woman-and-smaller-male-figure-on-grand-stairway-recto--637e2104bb3633b6-w320.webp)
Woman and Smaller Male Figure on Grand Stairway [recto]
Standing Figure Wearing a Hat![Copy After a Historical Painting from the Circle of Paolo Veronese [recto], by Italian 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/italian-16th-century--copy-after-a-historical-painting-from-the-circle-of-paolo-ve--e4944dad2b07ded6-w320.webp)
Copy After a Historical Painting from the Circle of Paolo Veronese [recto]
Lady in a Large Coat
A Western woman with her children in Macau
Drawing of figures
The Bloomsbury Christening