Five Hours at Paquin 1906

Henri Gervex created this oil on canvas painting titled "Five Hours at Paquin," depicting a scene inside the famous Parisian fashion house. Gervex’s image offers a glimpse into the culture of Parisian haute couture at the turn of the 20th century. Fashion houses like Paquin were not just places to buy clothes; they were social spaces where wealthy women could see and be seen. The painting suggests the importance of display and performance in the construction of femininity and status. We see a crowd of fashionable women, attended by sales assistants, all carefully posed and adorned in the latest styles. The setting of the salon is lavish and refined, reflecting the opulence and luxury associated with high fashion. To understand this image more fully, we might look at fashion magazines from the period, as well as business records from couture houses. This would help us understand the relationship between art, commerce, and social life in Belle Époque Paris.