Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, dimanche 27 août 1882, 11e année, No. 556: Jupons & Corsets de la M.on de Plument (...) 1882

Curator: Look at this exquisite lithograph by P. Deferneville from 1882, titled "Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille," showcasing undergarments. Immediately I'm captivated by the contrast between the black and blue gowns; one so serious and almost severe, the other light and airy. It's a visual study in opposites. Editor: Opposites, yes, but both very much trapped within the confines of fashionable constraint! Consider the societal pressures these women faced. The gazette promised to deliver 'family' ideals through representations of modern Parisian women who nonetheless required multiple layers of undergarments to participate. I’m interested in how the undergarments that provide these shapes speak to agency and gender. Curator: That's fascinating! For me, the artistic element sings—it feels a little whimsical, maybe a bit of escapism in this watercolour illustration style. Look at the dress on the right, it looks so fun—I think the juxtaposition of the severity of the fashions with the artistic representation highlights its artifice. The woman herself could not feel as free as that skirt appears to billow. Editor: True, the romantic aesthetic creates a captivating facade. The umbrellas themselves act as a type of symbolic barrier—are they a means of protection or tools wielded by patriarchal expectations to separate from other classes of women and assert status? Think about who had the time, resources, and need to pursue such leisure, represented and reinforced through publications like "Revue de la Mode". Curator: And what about those little horns in the back, in the right image? Is it an overt symbol or is Deferneville trying to suggest this image is somewhat more musical? Editor: Possibly. Horns could refer to masculine virility and power – in terms of composition, it mirrors a similar position in the left frame with its suggestion of exterior space to provide contrast. Either way, the framing is critical. The very placement of these women suggests boundaries, a constant awareness of where one 'fits' in this society. The romantic landscape they are framed in seems further out of reach because of these boundaries. Curator: This artwork reminds me of a fleeting feeling; these women caught between presentation and liberation! It feels that by depicting them this way, we're invited to understand how restrictive it all could have been, whilst appreciating it from an aesthetic point of view. Editor: Indeed! Beauty as both a construct and constraint; "Revue de la Mode" is thus a lens through which we can examine both fashion and the very idea of being fashioned by society.