Dame en deshabillé du matin c. 1676 - 1683

This is 'Dame en deshabillé du matin,' an engraving made by Dieu de Saint Jean in the late 17th century. Look closely and you'll see a lady adorned in the fashion of the French aristocracy. Her small dog and loose fitting robe speaks to her status, but the headscarf is what captures my attention, reminiscent of the veils worn by women in religious contexts. This garment, now repurposed as a marker of social rank, has a long history. We can see its echoes in the draped figures of antiquity, the veiled Madonnas of the Renaissance, and even in contemporary fashion. The scarf, initially a symbol of piety and modesty, here reveals a cultural memory, subconsciously linking earthly and heavenly ideals of feminine virtue. As it has evolved, the scarf has become disengaged from its original purpose, speaking to its cyclical progression, and highlighting its recurring presence in different eras.