Parasols for 1795

James Gillray|Hannah Humphrey

June 15, 1795 · Hand-colored etching and aquatint · Drawings and Prints

Gillray here burlesques aspects of fashion in a view of a man and woman from behind. She holds a tiny fringed parasol supported on a hinged stick (a new design that anticipates the Victorian carriage-parasol and contrasts earlier models that had long handles) and wears a dress that hangs limply around her ankles, topped by a small straw hat trimmed with enormous straw aigrettes. Long hair falls across her back. The man's outfit is equally eccentric, comprised of a tail-coat, long breeches, striped stockings, half-boots of Hessian cut and a hat with a round crown and enormous brim that curves upwards at the sides and down at the back and front. To balance his companion's parasol, he carries a cane.

Artist

James Gillray|Hannah Humphrey

Date

June 15, 1795

Medium

Hand-colored etching and aquatint

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Jill Spalding, 2022