Elegantia, of tijdschrift van mode, luxe en smaak voor dames, November 1808, No. 61: Chapeau de Cachemire.... 1808

Editor: So this print is titled "Elegantia, of tijdschrift van mode, luxe en smaak voor dames," and it was published in November 1808. It depicts a woman in a fashionable outfit of the time. There's something very delicate and stylized about her pose and clothing. What strikes you most about this image? Curator: I think it is a potent representation of the emerging power of women in early 19th century European society, filtered through the lens of fashion. The very title suggests a burgeoning market of luxury goods catering to female consumers, suggesting that women had agency, leisure, and buying power. Editor: I hadn't considered that at all. Can you expand a little bit on that thought about agency and luxury? Curator: Well, the woman depicted here is literally consuming culture. This is "Elegantia," a magazine dedicated to "mode, luxe en smaak," a manifesto for women. Through careful choices, like the 'Chapeau de Cachemire,' she can embody taste and access a form of self-expression and identity separate from her domestic role. Now, who gets to decide these things for her and, moreover, who is shut out of this experience? What kind of identity are women crafting, or having crafted for them? Editor: That brings up some really important questions about exclusivity and the construction of female identity through fashion. Curator: Exactly. It’s easy to dismiss this as simply a pretty fashion plate, but what are the societal undercurrents at work? Where is the pressure coming from? This print opens a fascinating window into the complex lives of women during the Napoleonic era and makes me wonder how images like these impacted notions of beauty and access to capital, ideas which obviously have tremendous impact today. Editor: I never would have considered this artwork within such a broad framework. Thanks!