Elegantia, of tijdschrift van mode, luxe en smaak voor dames, Februari 1809, No. 69: Costume de Bal 1809

Curator: It is a charming print from 1809 called “Elegantia, of tijdschrift van mode, luxe en smaak voor dames, Februari 1809, No. 69: Costume de Bal.” Currently housed at the Rijksmuseum, this work gives us a glimpse into early 19th-century fashion. Editor: I find her ghostly elegance captivating. It feels like peeking into a Jane Austen novel. The dress seems so lightweight and ethereal. Curator: The figure's pallor and costume evoke a classical ideal, referencing Greek drapery but transformed through a romantic sensibility and, perhaps, nascent industrial textile production methods. This form represents the ideal woman - but for what context? This image came from a journal about the elegance, fashion, and taste for women. It serves a documentary purpose of its time as well as aesthetic. Editor: Yes, that tension is intriguing. There's the neoclassical restraint of the dress's silhouette, that column shape. But also the almost fussy details, like the frilled trim around the bottom. I almost wonder what message she's holding, maybe it is gossip from the ball! Curator: Consider the jewelry as a reflection of both taste and aspiration. That crucifix indicates faith, of course, but it's also functioning as adornment, displayed almost coquettishly in conjunction with a very revealing dress for the time period. Editor: It’s all about balancing innocence and experience, isn’t it? I notice, also, the positioning. The slightly haughty tilt of the head, the suggestion of a curve to the spine. Curator: Her bearing suggests a particular attitude. It is this Romantic vision we remember, which impacts today’s audience just as it did in the past. We perceive elegance, wealth, status... and from an artistic lens, grace, composition, texture, symbolism, cultural memory, history, and beauty! Editor: Beauty, yes, I see it too, even in the rigid formality. I see her walking across a ballroom floor, poised and ready. It sparks a story in my mind! Thanks for revealing its cultural symbolism in that visual style. It's a treasure to analyze.