Bilder Antoine-François Prévost (1697–1763) – Women of Quality and Slaves of Guinea – Engraving (Circa 1748)

Beskrivning

This ethnographic print illustrates a contrast between the attire and social status of women in Guinea, West Africa. Four female figures are featured in a tropical landscape beneath a palm tree, identified in the banner as two women of quality and two enslaved women. The illustration serves as a visual record of regional distinctions in clothing and ornamentation, which were often exaggerated or misinterpreted through a European lens in 18th-century travel literature. This image was published in the encyclopedic work, the Histoire Générale des Voyages, compiled and edited  by Abbé Prévost.

Antoine-François Prévost d'Exiles, known as the Abbé Prévost, was a prominent French author, novelist, and historian of the 18th century, famous for his novel Manon Lescaut. He spent years compiling and editing the encyclopedic Histoire Générale des Voyages (General History of Voyages). This monumental work, which synthesized travel accounts from around the world, was a major publishing success of the Enlightenment, and Prévost's editorial effort was instrumental in shaping European perceptions of distant cultures and geographies.

Artist or Maker: Antoine-François Prévost

Dimensions: Approximately 26 × 19 cm

Medium: Engraving

Date: Circa 1748

Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.