Two Costume Designs or Portrait Types 1785 - 1790

This watercolor on paper presents two women dressed in elaborate costumes. While the artist is unknown, the style suggests it was made in France during the late 18th century. The clothing and hairstyles, emphasizing height and volume, reflect the extravagance associated with the French aristocracy before the revolution. The powdered wigs and ornamented dresses were markers of wealth, leisure, and a highly artificial courtly culture. Such fashion was not just personal adornment; it communicated social status and adherence to the norms of elite society. The handwritten text in French, "I was only looking for a heart, he was looking for fortune" may indicate the artist’s critique of the transactional nature of relationships within this social milieu. Analyzing fashion plates, personal letters, and other documents from the period can help us understand how this image participated in broader conversations about class, gender, and power during the waning years of the Ancien Régime.