Magasin des Demoiselles, 25 septembre 1849 1849

This fashion plate, titled 'Magasin des Demoiselles' and created by J. Desjardins around 1849, presents a tableau of feminine grace through the lens of Parisian style. Here, the raised hand of the standing figure is reminiscent of gestures found in classical depictions of orators. These hand gestures, codified through centuries, resurface here not to command, but to gently guide. See how the gesture connects her with the young girl and the seated woman, inviting us into their intimate circle. The very act of extending a hand carries the weight of shared humanity and cultural inheritance. Consider how these motifs weave through time, continually re-emerging, and adapting. The echo of classical rhetoric in a simple gesture—a subtle, subconscious reminder of the past shaping our present.