Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français, 1785, aaa. 284: La Belle dans l'incertitud (...) 1785

This is 'La Belle dans l'incertitude,' a fashion plate etched by Nicolas Dupin in 1785. These plates were a visual sign of the times, reflecting the obsession with fashion and social display in pre-revolutionary France. Note the woman’s elaborate dress. It is not just a garment, but a symbol of her social status and economic power, of the highly codified world of the French aristocracy. The title refers to "the beauty in two minds." It is a commentary on the frivolity of the upper classes. Such images were not simply records of clothing, but played a role in constructing and circulating ideas about taste, class, and national identity. By studying fashion plates alongside other historical sources – diaries, letters, business records – we can gain a richer understanding of the cultural and social landscape of 18th-century France, and the role of images within it. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.