Dame in japon 1803 - 1808

This is “Dame in japon” by Samuel Gränicher, made at the turn of the 18th century. It is an engraving with watercolor, portraying a woman in fashionable morning dress. Consider the title, which signals a fascination with the exotic, but also reveals something of the woman’s social standing. In this period, clothing was a direct expression of social hierarchy. Fashions were dictated by the court, which was then emulated by the middle classes. The cut of a dress, the fabrics used, and the accessories worn, all spoke volumes about the wearer's status and aspirations. The parasol she holds and the light fabric of her dress signal her wealth and freedom from manual labor. Gränicher's print also speaks to the rise of fashion as a subject of interest. The proliferation of printed images like this one helped spread new styles and set standards for taste. Fashion plates in particular served as a vital tool for disseminating knowledge of contemporary style, turning fashion into a form of visual communication. To understand its meaning, we can look to sources such as fashion magazines, portraits, and social histories of the period.