Collection consacrée aux modes d'hommes et de femmes, 1783-1813, No. 170 : La pensive Euphrosin (...) 1783 - 1813

This print from between 1783 and 1813 shows a woman named Euphrosine fashionably dressed and strolling in the Élysée Gardens of Paris. But what does it tell us about the broader culture and the social role of fashion during that time? Prints like this one were produced and distributed on a large scale in France, fueling the growing fashion industry and constructing codes of social status. The woman's Pallas-style hat, adorned with a feather, and her patterned shawl, would signal her belonging to a certain social class and her adherence to contemporary ideals of beauty and elegance. In the context of the French Revolution, which began in 1789, these fashion plates reflect the importance of appearance as a marker of social identity and a means of negotiating changing social structures. By exploring sources such as fashion magazines, personal letters, and social commentaries from the period, we can gain deeper insights into the complex relationship between fashion, identity, and society during this transformative era. Art becomes a mirror reflecting the dynamic interplay between individual expression and broader social forces.