Corset 1868 - 1872

This is a corset made by the Royal Worcester Corset Company, now displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The off-white fabric contrasts with the black background, accentuating the object's form. The corset's structure embodies a complex interplay of tensions. Vertical lines created by the fabric and seams converge to shape the body. The eye is drawn to the cinched waist, which then flares out at the top and bottom, creating an exaggerated, almost architectural silhouette. The buttons, evenly spaced, add a rhythmic element that both contains and defines the form. Consider how this garment acts as a signifier. It represents not only an object of fashion but also a symbol of constraint and control imposed on the female body. The corset, in its structure, embodies the paradoxical tension between constriction and the desire for an idealized form, reflecting cultural codes and power dynamics of its time. Its visual structure suggests an attempt to fix or stabilize the ever-changing form of the human body.