A Hat on a Stand 1860 - 1870

Auguste Félix made this watercolor of a hat on paper in France in the 1860s. Félix was a student at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, the gatekeeper of official French art. Here, he presents a striking hat in isolation. We see a blue turban-like form, decorated with a jaunty feather and a small bird, perched on a simple stand. But rather than simply representing an object, Félix provides a window into the world of Parisian fashion, commerce, and social status. Hats like these were potent symbols of identity and aspiration. The fashion industry flourished under the Second Empire. Department stores emerged, along with a new consumer culture. Félix would have been familiar with the rise of the fashion plate, a cheap and widely circulated print that popularized new styles. By rendering this hat with such care, Félix draws our attention to the social forces that shaped both artistic production and everyday life. To better understand this era, one might consult fashion magazines, social histories, and museum collections of clothing and accessories. Ultimately, this unassuming watercolor invites us to consider the complex relationship between art, fashion, and society in 19th-century France.