Elegantia, of tijdschrift van mode, luxe en smaak voor dames, April 1807, No. 9: Fond de Taffetas... 1807

This print, made in the Netherlands in 1807, is an illustration from ‘Elegantia,’ a magazine dedicated to fashion, luxury, and taste for women. We see the image creates meaning through visual codes – the high-waisted dress, puffed sleeves, and elaborate headwear representing the Empire silhouette, a style popularized in France and across Europe, a style often seen as a reference to Greek antiquity. Cultural references, like the magazine itself, highlight the growing consumer culture and the importance of appearance in defining social status. The magazine embodies the institution of fashion media, dictating trends and reinforcing the gendered expectations of the time. Was the magazine critiquing the institution of art? Was it conservative or progressive? By consulting sources such as period magazines, letters, and social histories, the historian can better illuminate the artwork’s complex relationship to its social and institutional context.