Twee vrouwen en een man in winterse mode 1829 - 1830

This print by Charles Philipon captures Parisian winter fashion with delicate strokes. Observe the central figure, her hat is like a halo, reminiscent of those worn by saints and madonnas. In religious art, haloes signify divinity, but here, the oversized hat proclaims devotion to fashion, not holiness. This echoes through art history: the peacock, once a symbol of immortality, later signified vanity in Renaissance portraits. Similarly, gestures of piety transform into expressions of worldly concern. Consider also, the fur muff held by the lady. This motif, seen throughout fashion history, can also be traced back to sacrificial rituals of covering the hands as a sign of reverence. What surfaces, and how, in our collective memory is never straightforward. Such symbols return, laden with the echoes of their past, but refracted through the ever-changing lens of human desire and cultural anxiety.