Journal des Luxus und der Moden 1790, Band V, T.24 1790

Editor: This is a page from "Journal des Luxus und der Moden" from 1790, a drawing by Friedrich Justin Bertuch. It shows a woman with a parasol. There's a certain lightness and formality to the image that reminds me of Jane Austen, even though it is just a drawing. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: Indeed. Consider how the parasol acts as more than a sunshade. In many cultures, and certainly in the 18th century, it symbolized status and protection. What memories, conscious or unconscious, did the color and shape evoke in the viewer of the time? The artist is also signaling ideas about leisure, virtue, and access, framing the sitter. Do you agree? Editor: Absolutely, I didn’t immediately consider the parasol’s symbolic weight, but now it makes total sense! The careful rendering also seems quite intentional now. Curator: And the somewhat restrained color palette points to prevailing values during the rise of Neoclassicism. Bertuch, while illustrating fashion, is simultaneously painting a picture of an entire social and moral order. How fascinating that clothing styles can point to psychological and historical contexts, right? Editor: Yes, definitely! I now see how something seemingly simple, like a fashion drawing, carries so much cultural information. I'll never look at such images the same way again. Curator: Excellent! These visual artifacts invite us to connect with a bygone era through its surviving codes and hidden messages, don't you think?