Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français 1787, TTT.388: La belle Sophie attendant... 1787

Hippolyte Le Bas's print, made around 1787, depicts a fashionable woman, 'La belle Sophie', awaiting her admirer. The print is part of a series titled 'Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français', which documented the latest trends in clothing and accessories in pre-revolutionary France. These images served as both records and promoters of elite fashion, offering a glimpse into the culture of extravagance and social display that characterized the French aristocracy. The subject's elaborate dress, complete with oversized hat and elegant fan, speaks volumes about the importance of outward appearance in maintaining social status at that time. This series provides historians with a valuable resource for understanding the social, economic, and cultural dynamics of late 18th-century France. We can use sources such as fashion periodicals, personal correspondence, and inventories of aristocratic wardrobes to reconstruct the world inhabited by 'La belle Sophie' and gain insights into the values, aspirations, and anxieties of her social class.