The Costumist: A Fashionable 16th-Century Couple

London | July

Old Master Paintings specialist Jonquil O’Reilly uses fashion to reveal the wider context of paintings. In her debut video, ‘The Costumist’ introduces Barbara Schwarz, wife of  Matthäus Schwarz, a fascinating 16th-century personality who meticulously documented his favourite outfits in a ‘Trachtenbuch’ or costume book. Despite her exclusion, Christoph Amberger captured a portrait of the Augsburg society woman and her highly fashionable costume, a highlight of Sotheby’s upcoming Old Masters Evening sale on 5 July in London.

More from Sotheby's

Stay informed with Sotheby’s top stories, videos, events & news.

Receive the best from Sotheby’s delivered to your inbox.

By subscribing you are agreeing to Sotheby’s Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from Sotheby’s emails at any time by clicking the “Manage your Subscriptions” link in any of your emails.