La Mode Illustrée, 1871, No. 41: Toilettes de Mme Breant-Castel (...) 1871

Jean-Baptiste Réville made this print titled, 'La Mode Illustrée, 1871, No. 41', using engraving. Notice how the composition presents two women and a child, their figures meticulously detailed with the era's fashion. This engraving uses dense hatching to create texture and volume, which is particularly evident in the elaborate dresses. The artist creates a semiotic structure where clothing, posture, and setting speak to the cultural values of bourgeois life in 19th-century France. The arrangement of the figures, with one woman seated and another standing, introduces a visual hierarchy, and the child's inclusion softens the formality, suggesting themes of domesticity. The background is softly rendered, pushing forward the fashion. Réville’s mastery of line and shading transforms a commercial fashion plate into a study of social dynamics, where each element—from the fabric folds to the women’s expressions—is meticulously crafted. The cultural codes embedded in their attire and interaction highlight how clothing serves not only an aesthetic but also a communicative function, signaling status and societal norms.