Although most of the dressed prints in the library's collection were made between 1690 and 1710, the later date of the fabrics indicates that they were "dressed" some forty or fifty years later. The correct French term for the process is découpé. Its translation, literally "cut-out", gives some idea of what was involved. Portions of the print were cut out and faced from the reverse side with fabric corresponding to parts of the costume. What remained of the print was skillfully tinted with watercolor.
Full-length portrait of Madame de Soisson, née Olympe Mancini, neice of Cardinal Mazarin, in a dressing gown. This costume is made up of a losely laced bodice called a "gourgandine" beneath the dressing gown and was worn in the mornings at home.