Marie Antoinette: The Queen of Fashion: Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français c. 1787

Curator: This delicate engraving, titled "Marie Antoinette: The Queen of Fashion: Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français," dates to around 1787. It's a print, showcasing the elaborate fashion of the time. It now resides here in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oh, my! My first thought is "drama." It is this overwhelming cloud of blue and gold. The silhouette is almost cartoonish in its exaggerated shape. She looks like a fabulous porcelain doll about to topple over. Curator: Exactly. And the ‘Gallerie des Modes’ was essentially an early fashion magazine. The image depicts a “Grande Robe de Cour à l’Étiquette”, which translates to a full court dress, meant to be worn specifically within the strict protocols of the French court. We are clearly situated within a gendered, classed and highly formalized context. Editor: It's so top-heavy, isn't it? I mean, the enormous wig, and then all the decoration focused above the waist, just emphasizes the, shall we say, artifice. It’s as if the clothing is wearing the woman. The whole presentation, though gorgeous, whispers "restriction". Curator: Absolutely. Fashion at this time was a tool of power and control, a visual language indicating one's position in society. But also consider the economics tied into each "look". Marie Antoinette and fashion became intertwined during the era and therefore, a powerful symbol to deconstruct during the French Revolution. Editor: It’s hard not to see that tension when you know the history, isn’t it? All this… exuberance, right before the fall. It is kind of thrilling in a morbid way. You also see how beautifully these prints were made and colored. I just love the tiny roses on the dress. Curator: Indeed. Each element in this print speaks volumes about the pre-revolutionary era, reflecting on a society on the cusp of dramatic upheaval. What the image chooses to conceal and chooses to flaunt speaks of its moment and its social power relations. Editor: And as for me, well, I’m kind of inspired. I want to make a dress out of balloons now! It could be a fun, modern commentary, in fabric form, right? Curator: Precisely the kind of contemporary dialogues we hope the artworks spur.