Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français, 1778, Q 91 : Jeune Dame coeffée en baigneus (...) 1778

Editor: This is "Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français, 1778, Q 91 : Jeune Dame coeffée en baigneuse," a colored-pencil and engraving print from 1778 at the Rijksmuseum, attributed to Nicolas Dupin. The delicate rendering of the dress and towering feather headdress are just captivating! What significance do you find in an image such as this? Curator: I see a complex interplay of social and personal identity woven into this fashion plate. Notice how the print meticulously details the fabrics, the cut, and ornamentation of the dress, practically dictating not just a style, but a statement. The 'baigneuse' hairstyle itself references classical bathing, suggesting a cultivated, almost theatrical self-presentation. Does it strike you as staged, somehow? Editor: It definitely does! It feels less like a candid shot and more like a performance of wealth and status. Curator: Precisely. And let’s consider the wider context. This print exists within a "gallery of fashions," hinting at the spectacle and the ephemerality of trends. What is being communicated, consciously or unconsciously, about women, status, and consumer culture? Editor: I guess it highlights the pressure to conform to an ideal, and the economic forces driving those trends. It is a very self-aware portrait, capturing wealth, style and social expectations of women during that period. I had not looked at it like that initially, that the clothing style becomes almost performative of an idea. Thanks!