This engraving, about which little specific information is known, is part of a vogue for representations of costume that began with the extensive series engraved by Enea Vico (Italian, 1523–1567) and published in Venice in 1556. Fascination with fashion peaked in the later decades of the sixteenth century, when numerous books of costume appeared throughout Europe. Symptomatic of the great curiosity about the world and its inhabitants that characterized this age of exploration, costume prints and books documented regional and national dress as well as the garb appropriate to various classes and trades.

This representation of the stylish attire of a Venetian woman who may be either a courtesan or a noble lady seems primarily intended to explain the height attained by these startling beauties through revealing the shoes (chopines) worn beneath their skirts. However, it must share a certain titillation factor with other prints whose moveable flaps lifted to reveal hidden things—an idea reinforced by the inclusion of Cupid. Although to us the woman seems fully clothed beneath her skirt, legs were a forbidden sight at the time.

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