Two Costume Designs or Portrait Types and a Third Costume Sketch 1785 - 1790

Here, in this delicate sheet, we see costume designs rendered with watercolor. Notice the extravagant hats adorned with flowers and feathers, emblems of status and frivolity. These aren't mere decorations; they are statements, echoing the elaborate headdresses seen in earlier eras, like the towering "hennin" of the medieval Burgundian court. Consider how these motifs reappear across time. The flowers, symbols of fleeting beauty, contrast with the more permanent materials of status. These are not merely embellishments; they speak to the ephemeral nature of beauty and status. Think of Botticelli’s "Primavera" where Flora scatters blossoms, a gesture of fertility and renewal, yet tinged with melancholy as beauty fades. Observe the gesture of the figures, a subtle dance of display and reserve. It reminds us that visual symbols engage viewers on a deep, subconscious level. Such motifs resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings as they progress through different historical contexts.