Dimensions: height 181 mm, width 112 mm
Copyright: Rijks Museum: Open Domain
Horace Vernet created this print, "Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costume Parisien, 1805," as part of a series documenting Parisian fashion during the early 19th century. Vernet was born during a period of immense social upheaval, shortly before the French Revolution, and came of age during the Napoleonic era, deeply impacting his artistic sensibilities. The print depicts a woman in a high-waisted, white dress, accessorized with a red shawl and yellow ribbons, embodying the Empire silhouette popular at the time. These fashion plates weren't just about clothing; they were signifiers of class, gender, and cultural identity. What did it mean to be a fashionable woman in post-revolutionary France? This image captures the nuances of how elite women navigated their identities through fashion, in a society undergoing rapid transformation. It serves as a window into the aspirations and self-expression of a specific group of women, reflecting both the constraints and the freedoms of their time.
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