Petit Courrier des Dames, 1827, No. 540 : Turban en Etoffe Lamé (...) 1827

This fashion plate, titled "Petit Courrier des Dames," was made in 1827 using a combination of etching and engraving, then delicately hand-colored. Look closely, and you will notice that the image meticulously details women's fashion. The focus is on materiality: the turban is made with 'étoffe lamé,' a fabric interwoven with metallic threads, while the dress features ‘palmyrienne brodée,’ embroidery inspired by the exotic East. The creation of such an image would have involved the labor of multiple artisans: the designer, the engraver, the printer, and the colorist. The textiles represented would also have been made through a similar complex division of labor. This print exemplifies the burgeoning fashion industry of the early 19th century, which relied on both skilled handcraft and emerging industrial processes. The artwork blurs the line between fashion illustration and social commentary, highlighting the cultural and economic significance of dress in 19th-century Paris. It reminds us that even seemingly frivolous images are deeply embedded in the material conditions of their time.