Tight Lacing, or Fashion before Ease, 1777

Satire on fashion: a young woman holds on to a bed-post while her husband, with gloves on his hands, her maid and black page-boy join forces to tug tight the laces of her stays; her lap dog sits on the bed; her pet monkey sits on the floor pointing at a book lettered, "fashions victim a satire". 1777 hand-coloured mezzotint. Date: 1777. Dimensions: Height: 350 mm; Width: 250 mm. Medium: paper. Collection: British Museum.