Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, dimanche 10 juillet 1887, 16e Année, No. 810: Etoffes de la M.on Le Houssel (...) 1887

This lithograph, printed in France on Sunday, July 10, 1887, showcases the latest fashions in the Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille. These images were a cultural touchstone, reflecting and shaping the aspirations of the bourgeoisie during the Third Republic. The emphasis on family in the journal's title tells us about the importance of domesticity, while the carefully rendered fabrics suggest the economic structures of the time. We see the rise of department stores and a culture of consumption. The visual codes of class and gender are on display here, revealing not only the garments themselves, but also the rigid social structures of the time. The backdrop of mountains and a grand building imply that the women are vacationing and living a life of luxury. To understand this image more deeply, one might consult fashion history archives, social histories of 19th-century France, and studies of the rise of consumer culture. Art, in this context, is a mirror reflecting the values and structures of its time.