Almanac de Gotha pour l'année 1782: Vier dameskapsels 1782

Curator: This striking 1782 print by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki is entitled, "Almanac de Gotha pour l'année 1782: Vier dameskapsels." It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. What's your immediate reaction to these rather… unusual hairstyles? Editor: They look precarious, frankly! Such improbable shapes and elaborate forms seem like architectural follies teetering on the brink of collapse. Curator: Indeed. Let's consider Chodowiecki's linework; see how efficiently he captures texture and volume? The cross-hatching defines each curl, each fold of fabric. And consider the semiotic implications of naming the styles, as inscribed at the bottom—from the comparatively restrained "Modeste" to the daring "Outrageant." Editor: I'm more drawn to the question of what exactly holds them up! Hairpins, whalebone, copious amounts of pomade, or even hidden scaffolding? It makes one think about the hours of labor—the social artifice involved in achieving this specific fashionable appearance and the access to material this involved. Who was involved in fabricating and implementing these complex coiffures? Curator: A vital question! Though it may lack the perceived seriousness of history painting, prints like these provided widespread access to fashion and ideas, allowing for greater democratization of taste through reproduced imagery and a shift in social performance. The question might even extend beyond access, and examine what performative implications for class were involved. Editor: Yes! These are artifacts, not merely illustrations. Examining them reminds us of the performative nature of status. What materials are accessible, who labors for you, and what message is communicated through style. I am less intrigued by whether this is good art, or not. Curator: But might it also be possible that he's exploring the boundaries of artistic representation itself? He's capturing the zeitgeist of an era, a cultural moment. In doing so, how is the artist utilizing style, form, and technique to translate concepts like extravagance or simplicity into the visual medium? Editor: Agreed, that Chodowiecki is highlighting both the absurdity and the societal value judgments inscribed upon them, by emphasizing their materials, structures and the amount of work that surely went into these constructions.. Thank you. Curator: And thank you. The Almanack clearly offers more than meets the eye, prompting rich interpretations on artistic intention, social class and more, hopefully deepening your engagement with this piece as you move forward.