Journal des Demoiselles, 1857, 25e année, No. 7 1857

A. Portier created this print titled Journal des Demoiselles in 1857. This image offers a glimpse into the prescribed roles and aspirations of women in mid-19th century French society. The journal itself was a popular publication aimed at young, upper-class women, offering guidance on fashion, etiquette, and domestic skills. The two figures, elegantly dressed, embody the feminine ideals of the time. Note the doll placed prominently between them, perhaps suggesting the girls' future roles as mothers and keepers of the domestic sphere. These types of images reinforced societal expectations, shaping women's identities within a patriarchal framework. The print invites us to consider the complex interplay between social expectations and individual identity. In its meticulous depiction of fashion and feminine interaction, the artwork provides a lens through which to examine the construction of gender roles in 19th-century France.