Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, dimanche 21 décembre 1884, 13e Année, No. 677: Jupons & Corsets (...) 1884

This is a print by A. Chaillot from December 1884 showcasing the latest fashion: underskirts and corsets. Immediately, we are drawn to the figure on the left, whose open hand gestures toward the viewer. This gesture is a fascinating motif—the "impassioned nymph" from classical antiquity—an attitude of heightened emotional expression and a link to the symbolic language of ancient drama. We observe it in Renaissance paintings such as Botticelli’s "Primavera," where figures adopt similar poses to convey intense emotions and narrative cues. In those earlier depictions, the gesture served to connect mortals with divinities, as if a connection between worlds was possible. Here, in this fashion plate, the gesture is no longer used for connecting worlds. Instead, it is an invitation into a world of beauty and desire. The echo of ancient gestures in modern fashion suggests that the underlying human emotions and aspirations remain unchanged, only their expression evolves.