Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costume Parisien, 1805, An 13 (656) Capote de Paille,... 1805

This fashion plate was made in Paris in 1805 by Horace Vernet, using etching and possibly some hand-coloring. It's a printed image, made to be widely distributed, but still gives a sense of the materials it depicts. The figure wears a light dress, probably cotton, which was becoming increasingly available as a result of global trade and the plantation system. The dress is paired with a straw bonnet, trimmed with taffeta, a light and shiny silk fabric. The way the print is made – with fine, delicate lines – mirrors the textures of these diaphanous fabrics. The textiles suggest the globalized economy of the time, and the labor involved in the production of raw materials, as well as the skilled work of spinning, weaving, and sewing. Fashion plates like these were a vital part of the fashion industry and an important form of visual communication. The image is both a work of art, and a document of social and economic history.