Habillemens à la Mode:, ca. 1785. kopie naar L'aimeable Céphis (...) c. 1785

This print, made around 1785, gives us a glimpse into the fashion of the French upper classes, filtered through the skilled, labour-intensive process of etching. An etcher would have used sharp tools to cut lines into a metal plate, building up an image line by line. This particular image, although unsigned, is in fact a copy of an earlier, more accomplished print. Note the relatively crude lines used to build up the voluminous dress and elaborate hairstyle. The print would have been relatively inexpensive to produce, but was itself copying clothing that involved an enormous amount of labor. The lace, the trimmings, the embroidery, the very structure of the dress - all of it made by hand. So even though this print is a relatively humble object, it gives us a window onto a world where many people worked very hard, so that a select few could embody the latest look. Appreciating the process behind the print allows us to see those social relations more clearly.