Journal des Luxus und der Moden 1790, Band V, T.1 1790

This hand-colored engraving is from Friedrich Justin Bertuch's *Journal des Luxus und der Moden*, published in Germany in 1790. This journal was one of the first to offer fashion plates to a German audience, standardizing trends for a growing consumer class. This plate depicts a woman and a man in the latest styles. The woman's dress is in the Neoclassical style, with its high waist and flowing skirt. The man's military uniform reflects the importance of the military in German society at the time. Publications such as Bertuch's journal helped to create a sense of national identity by standardizing taste. By examining the journal's contents and readership, one can learn about the social and economic changes that were taking place in Germany at the end of the 18th century. Historians can study fashion plates as primary sources to learn about the cultural values and social structures of the past, and this journal provides an interesting view of the period.