print, watercolor, engraving
portrait
watercolor
romanticism
watercolour illustration
genre-painting
engraving
Dimensions height 177 mm, width 112 mm
Pierre Charles Baquoy created this print of men’s fashion for the Journal des Dames et des Modes in 1809. These journals played a crucial role in disseminating and shaping ideals of beauty and social status in early 19th-century France. The print presents a Parisian man, embodying the sartorial standards of the time. The visual codes are clear: the high top hat, tailored coat, and riding boots speak to a life of leisure and affluence. Made during the reign of Napoleon, France was recovering from the Revolution and was under a new, more authoritarian social structure. Fashion became a potent indicator of social standing, a visual language that reinforced class distinctions. Publications like the Journal served as arbiters of taste, subtly reinforcing the status quo. To fully understand this print, we might consult archives of fashion plates, social histories of the Napoleonic era, and studies of the periodical press. This helps us interpret the image as a cultural artifact deeply embedded in its time.
Comments
The Journal des Dames et des Modes occasionally provided coverage of men’s styles. These illustrations give a good picture of trends in mens’ clothing from 1797 to 1825. During the 18th century, gentlemen wore culotte (knee-breeches) 1. These fell out of fashion with the elimination of strict class distinctions during the French Revolution, to be replaced by a type of long trouser(s) known as pantalon à la Hussarde 2. These were worn with hussar boots. ‘Pantaloons’ 3 were trousers pulled tight with an elastic strap under the instep. Carrick 4 coats with a double collar were popular, and in the evenings men wore a special dress cloak 5.
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