Elegantia, of tijdschrift van mode, luxe en smaak voor dames, September 1809, No. 89: Coeffure d'une Jeune Personne. 1809

This hand-colored engraving of a woman’s fashion was printed in September 1809 as part of a Dutch journal called Elegantia, a magazine of fashion, luxury, and taste for women. The image presents a visual code of class and status in the Netherlands. The loose-fitting dress in white imitates classical Greek styles and speaks to elite tastes in fashion. The shawl, jewelry, and elaborate hairstyle all contribute to the image of the wealthy woman. The history of fashion journals like Elegantia reveals the social conditions that shaped the lives of European women in the 19th century. These journals are filled with cultural references and historical associations and were aimed at wealthy women who had both the leisure time and the financial resources to follow the latest fashion trends. As historians, we look to sources such as periodicals, letters, and diaries to more fully understand the role of fashion in the social and cultural life of the past. We can better reflect on the meaning of art as something that is contingent on its social and institutional context.