Magasin des Demoiselles, 25 septembre 1854 1854

Curator: Here we have “Magasin des Demoiselles, 25 septembre 1854”, created by J. Desjardins. It’s a print, rendered in ink, possibly with coloured pencil as well. Editor: What immediately strikes me is the almost excessive ornamentation, particularly the layering and frills in the dresses. It's as though each element is fighting for visual dominance. Curator: Indeed. The layering contributes to the work being categorized within Romanticism and functions as a piece of genre painting, capturing a slice of 19th-century life and style through the representation of these women and their garments. Note also, this would have been reproduced for mass consumption. The magazine was selling this image with patterns for home seamstresses. Editor: The tension between the flatness of the print medium and the artist’s effort to depict volume is also very striking. The light and shadow is all implied. Curator: Right, while seemingly decorative, the details reflect advancements in textile production and emerging consumer culture, illustrating an increased accessibility of fashion to a wider audience during the 1850s. Editor: And think about the labor embedded in producing such detailed garments! From cultivating raw materials like cotton or silk, to the labour of spinning, weaving, dyeing and tailoring the materials, and constructing those multiple frills and tiers. It becomes clear just how intricate and demanding clothing production was. Curator: It would have employed a considerable number of people. By analyzing fashion plates like this as artifacts, we gain insights into economic forces that influenced not only the garments themselves but the society around them. Editor: So, looking closely allows us to decode a story beyond the surface aesthetics and begin understanding how the image acts as a record. Curator: Precisely. It highlights how seemingly simple visual representations connect to larger economic narratives—offering nuanced insights into the interplay of art, craft, and consumerism within society.