Wiener Zeitung für Kunst, Literatur und Mode, XXIII (23), 1818, Nr. 67 : Wiener Moden 1818

János Blaschke's print from 1818, published in the Wiener Zeitung, showcases a fashionable Viennese woman, her attire laden with symbolic weight. The lady's dress embodies a stark simplicity, a reaction against the excesses of previous eras, yet her elaborate bonnet, adorned with feathers, speaks of status. The feathers, like those adorning the helmets of ancient warriors or the headdresses of indigenous tribes, evoke power, courage, and perhaps, vanity. Consider how, in earlier times, only royalty could don certain plumes, thus declaring their divine right to rule. The act of writing or reading a letter, as depicted here, has often symbolized intimacy, communication, and reflection across different cultures. The letter serves as a powerful tool for conveying emotions and thoughts, a reflection of human connection that transcends time. Such adornments are not mere frivolities, but potent carriers of cultural memory, continuously resurfacing and adapting across the vast landscape of human expression.